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Previous patients

 

Noosa the Loggerhead Turtle

Our patient of the week is an enormous loggerhead turtle that weighs 111kg! He was seen by the Noosa Lifeguards floating off Noosa beach and was rescued by the Australia Zoo Rescue Unit who were cheered on by beachgoers! The turtle has been named ‘Noosa’ and was found to be in good body condition.

He has been admitted to the Australian Wildlife Hospital as a “floater” which means there is a build-up of gas in his gut or under his shell that has prevented him from diving and feeding. Sadly, the floating condition is quite common with sea turtles and is largely caused by a parasitic infection that takes over and slows the gut-movement of the turtle allowing gas to accumulate. Some large turtles have been floating for months before being rescued and, because they are floating, they are unable to dive to feed, are more prone to shark attacks and even suffer sunburn to their shells.

Noosa will have a long road to recovery with anti-parisitic medication, de-gas tablets and lots of TLC!  He has already shown aggressive behavior and is very active in his pool and we hope he will show signs of improvement soon - you can imagine how frustrating it would be for a turtle not to be able to dive when that is all they want to do!

 

Canungra Bats

The staff at the Australian Wildlife Hospital has come to the aid of literally hundreds of baby Grey Headed Flying Foxes orphaned at one of the local Gold Coast bat camps following the recent severe storms.  Grey Headed Flying Foxes have been listed as a  “vulnerable” species for some time and are a very important species that we need to protect.

 

To date there have been a total of 320 baby grey-headed flying foxes rescued from the Canungra colony.  The Australian Wildlife Hospital was able to assist local wildlife rescuers with a donation of medical equipment, as well as providing veterinary support.    Dr Claude and Nurse Peta spent two days working with the rescue team, conducting health checks and administering medication.  Approximately 75 babies were triaged and treated during that time and subsequently some of our Hospital staff and volunteers have taken on the task of hand-rearing a number these patients.

 

These little bats are amazingly intelligent and are all so happy to now be in care.  They are learning to hang whilst flapping furiously, although they can’t fly yet!  They have quickly come to learn the feeding routine and now rush to be fed first.  Thanks to the combined rescue effort - also involving Wildcare Australia, Bat Care Gold Coast and Brisbane, the RSPCA, the Currumbin Wildlife Hospital, Greencross Vets, veterinary students and others - there are now over 300 bats that will not perish from dehydration and malnutrition.

 

Hurley the Lace Monitor

On 12 February 2008 the staff at the Australian Wildlife Hospital received an urgent phone call from a veterinarian in the Redlands area of Brisbane.

She reported a member of the public had brought a lace monitor into her surgery which had been hit by a vehicle and was suffering severe facial trauma. After a 3 hour round trip the team from Australia Zoo Rescue Unit arrived back at the Hospital with the 2.5 metre long lace monitor.

Dr Amber took x-rays of the patient - now named Hurley - and discovered multiple fractures to his upper and lower jaws, lacerations to his tongue and bleeding from his right ear drum. The fractures were stabilised and strapped and Hurley spent the next month in intensive care where he underwent a full treatment program including pain relief, antibiotic, and calcium injections.

As a result of his condition Hurley was unable to open his jaws to feed, so an assisted feeding program was undertaken by Nurse Lee.  Each day she prepared a “Reptile Slurpie” made from eggs, protein mix and calcium, and this was gently syringe-fed to Hurley to keep his strength up.

By the end of April, Hurley’s x-rays showed the fractures were healing well and he was now able to eat solids.  At this stage of rehabilitation Hurley was sent to an experienced reptile carer and spent the next seven months getting back into prime condition.  Over each successive month his condition steadily improved and he went from being a docile and uninterested patient to an alert and aggressively confident monitor, demonstrating all the behaviour needed to cope with life back in the wild.

Just a few days ago Hurley was driven back down to his home turf in the Redlands area and released. His first reaction was to lay in the warm sun for nearly ½ an hour before slowly but happily ambling his way back into his bushland home.

 

Maggie the Koala Joey

 

Maggie is a tiny orphaned koala joey who was admitted to the Australian Wildlife Hospital late last week.  She is 4 months old and weighs just over 200 grams.  Maggie’s mother suffered severe injuries as a result of a savage dog attack several hours prior to her rescue.  She was still clinging to life when found but sadly died in her rescuer’s arms.  She had survived just long enough to see that her little girl would be looked after.  

 

Maggie is of an age where she should still be in her mother’s pouch - hence she is now being housed in a humidicrib to keep her body temperate warm and constant.  She is being bottle fed every three to four hours and is, understandably, still very tentative about this new routine.  She has also been prescribed a short course of medication to treat a mild tummy upset.

 

When she is through her period of intensive care, Maggie will be placed with an experienced koala carer who will care for her in their own home until she reaches a weight of approximately 2.5 kilograms, at which time she will return to the Hospital’s koala kindergarten to learn the skills needed to fend for herself ahead of her eventual release back to the wild.

 

Dog attack is the most common threat to our vulnerable koala population after road accidents but there is a simple remedy.   If you are a dog owner and live in a koala habitat area, please ensure that your pet is not allowed to roam or walk off its leash.  Not only is this a courtesy to your neighbours, and particularly other dog owners, but you will be protecting koalas too.      

 

Onyx the Black Flying Fox

Onyx was initially admitted to the Australian Wildlife Hospital on 27 October - he had been found on the ground Caboolture and was rescued by a wildlife carer.  Our vets found that he had swelling over the bridge of his nose and superficial grazes to his right nostril.  He was also slightly dehydrated, but this was quickly overcome once he was given oral fluids.

Onyx came back to the Hospital this week for a re-check and a fracture on phalange 1 (a finger-like bone) was found.  Fortunately the fracture is only slightly displaced so there was no need to repair.

Onyx will stay with his experienced bat carer until he is ready to go to bat kindergarten - then, if all goes well, he will be released into a colony.

The Black Flying Fox is the largest species of flying-fox in Australia. Interestingly, they can beat their wings up to 120 times per minute, can fly at 35-40 kilometres per hour and may travel over 50 kilometres from their camp to a feeding area. They often share their camps with other flying-fox species.

 

Bubble and Squeak the Tawny Frog Mouths

Our patients of the week came from Beerwah.  They were blown out of their nest in a big storm, and were found on the ground by a resident. They are Tawny Frog Mouths which, contrary to popular belief, are not owls, but part of the Nightjar family.  Bubble and Squeak were not injured in the fall as their wings helped them to glide to the ground, however they were covered in ants when found. Our vet gave them a thorough assessment and they were found to be in great condition and simply needed to be returned to their family.

The best way to re-unite any type of baby bird with the family, if they have fallen from a nest, is to get an old ice-cream or plastic container, and put some holes in the bottom so that rain water can drain out. Then put some leaves and sticks into the box and place the young birds in.   Hang the box up in the same tree as the original nest, or the closest tree, and watch! 98% of the time the parents will come and feed the babies and then teach them to fly, giving them a much better start to life than if they are hand-raised by people. Sometimes birds have even been known to carry their young from these make-shift nests to the original nest!  If the parents do not come down within 4 hours then give the Australian Wildlife Hospital a call, as there may be something wrong - but most of the time the parents will be looking for their young; their young will be calling out and they just need a chance to be off the ground away from predators.

In the case of Bubble and Squeak, as they are nocturnal birds, their rescuers just needed to put them in a makeshift nest and make sure that they were in full shade for the day.  As it got dark their parents called for them and then began hunting to feed their young.

Tawny Frog Mouths feed on mice and insects and particularly like moths. Tragically, this means we admit a few adult Tawnys each week that have been hit by cars as they swoop down to feed on moths attracted by the headlights of cars. Please stop to pick up any you see on the side of the road, and remember how to re-unite young birds with their families!

 

Rainforest Koalas

The Rainforest is a special enclosure at the Australian Wildlife Hospital that is home for a short while to our orphaned koalas and others that are recovering from serious injuries.   We currently have 10 koalas in residence - of these 8 were orphaned and 2 are rehabilitating after suffering severe injuries.

Infant koalas (joeys) who are orphaned initially go to a carer who specialises in koala rehabilitation and will come back to the Hospital once they reach a weight of approximately 2.5 kilos.  At this weight the joey is normally weaned off his or her bottle (which is a soy milk formula) and, in some instances, will receive a dietary supplement of Infasoy paste.   

Koalas’ normal diet consists of the eucalyptus leaf and, at this age, they are ready for this to be their primary source of nutrition.  The Rainforest - which is also referred to as a pre-release kindergarten - provides a variety of eucalypt types that they can eat and several trees to climb.  This environment enables the joeys to develop their fitness and the skills needed to interact with other koalas and fend for themselves when they are released into the wild. 

At approximately 4 kilos the joey is ready to be released back to the area that they originally came from and, although it is sad to say goodbye to these beautiful animals, we hope that they never have occasion to come back to our Hospital.

It is currently the mating season for koalas, so please drive carefully in areas signposted as koala habitat.   They may be crossing the road looking for a partner or searching for food.   One orphan in our care is one too many.

 

Salada the Short Necked Turtle

A Brisbane River Short Necked Turtle came into our care last Tuesday after a concerned person found her in a pond at Sandgate with fishing line hanging out of her mouth.

Dr Claude examined and X rayed the turtle - now named Salada - and found a hook stuck in the esophagus.  She soon discovered that Salada was a female and, whilst anesthetized, produced 8 eggs.  The eggs were placed in incubation straight away and, if all goes well, the young will be released back into the wild. 

Dr Claude believes that Salada is carrying more eggs, so it is important that we get her back out into the wild as soon as possible.  The removal of the hook proved to be very difficult and Dr Claude had to cut and suture the neck to remove it.  Salada has several stitches which will dissolve over the next few months.  She will be kept under close observation and when it’s deemed safe to do so, will be released  back into her pond at Sandgate.  

Please be aware of the hazards to our wildlife caused by discarded fishing lines and hooks.

 

Shadow, Ensham and Abigail the Echidna Trio

Our Patients of the Week come from across Queensland.  They are all puggles (baby echidnas) and each of them was orphaned when their mums were killed by cars.  Each puggle was very lucky that some drivers stopped to check the pouches of the mothers and were able to get the puggles to trained carers. They have been named Shadow (the largest one) from Beaudesert, Ensham from Emerald, and  Abigail from Gympie.

Echidnas are related to the platypus and are an unusual taxon group of monotremes -  egg-laying mammals.  They feed their young on milk secreted from the ducts on the mother’s belly every few days, and in between feeds the mother echidna will travel to feed herself on ants and termites.  Echidnas enjoy cool temperatures, hence when they are being rehabilitated the adults are kept cool with ice-packs - quite the opposite to other mammals that require heat when undergoing treatment.  It is crucial at this time of year for adult echidnas to go back exactly where they have come from as there is a very high likelihood of puggles waiting in a burrow somewhere to be fed.

Our trio are in the very capable hands of two different carers and will remain with them for some months until they are old enough to be released.

Please look out for injured wildlife on the roads and check them for young in the pouch.  We are in the busiest season for injured wildlife, admitting 539 animals in the month of September and 478 in the month of August.

 

Marty the Sugar Glider

The Australia Zoo Rescue Unit travelled south of Brisbane to the Manly Road Veterinary Clinic to pick up a koala that had been hit by a car and whilst they were there they also collected a sugar glider that had been brought to the clinic by a member of the public.

The glider was admitted to the Hospital showing some neurological damage and trauma to his left eye.  He was christened Marty and commenced treatment to reduce swelling and inflammation.  Marty is a juvenile glider, weighing just 90g, and was found on the ground being attacked by birds. It is likely he suffered a blow to the head and fell to the ground and then the birds saw him and attacked him.

Marty has subsequently been transferred to a very experienced glider carer and he will have a re-assessment in a few days time. We anticipate that he will make a full recovery so that he can be released back to the wild.

 

Kinky the Eastern Water-dragon

A Beerwah resident  discovered an Eastern Water-dragon that had got himself caught in a wire fence and had no way escaping by himself.  He was also found to have a kink in his tail - hence the name Kinky!

Kinky was dehydrated, weak and showed signs of an infection when he was admitted to the Australian Wildlife Hospital earlier this week.   When he first came in he was not eating and this may have been due in part to a small wound inside his mouth.  He has started to respond well to treatment and his wounds are healing.

He still has a kink in his tail – this was likely an earlier injury - however it does not hamper his movement.  We expect Kinky to make a full recovery and be released soon.

 

Aero and Sandy the Whistling Kites

Within the last 24 hours we have admitted two Whistling Kites to the Australian Wildlife Hospital, which is unusual.

The first one to come in was from Dayboro and has been named Aero and has extensive bruising.  He was found on the side of a road so it is very likely he was hit by a car.  Fortunately Aero does not have any fractures and is having treatment for the soft tissue damage he has sustained.

The second whistling kite admitted has been named Sandy, and came to us from Bli Bli. He was found under a tree, unsteady on his feet with both eyes closed. After an examination our vet found that Sandy had suffered head trauma and ulcerations to the corneas of both eyes. Sandy has started eye treatment and is on anti-inflammatory medication.

Both Aero and Sandy will stay at the Hospital for a few days before being placed with an experienced raptor carer.  They will both be released to the wild when they are fully recovered.

 

Trio the Mountain Brush-tail Possum

Our Patient of the Week is Trio, a Mountain Brush-tail Possum, that is a resident in a garden in Buderim.

Trio suffers from Possum Dermatitis, which is a common disease of possums that is largely caused by stress. The dermatitis bacteria eats away at the flesh, most often at the base of the tail or on the face and, if caught in the early stages, can be treated with antibiotics.

If you have possums in your garden you can keep an eye on them and, if you notice any loss of fur and redness, you can call us at the Australian Wildlife Hospital to arrange for the possum to be collected and admitted for treatment.  Trio is lucky that members of the public brought him to us at the first signs of the disease.  He will now go to a possum carer for on-going treatment and when he is fully recovered he will be released back to Buderim.

Trio has been fed fruit, rice, bread, almonds etc by the people whose garden he lives in. Bread is one of the worst things to feed wildlife because of the yeast it contains - this can make all animals very sick. The team at the Australian Wildlife Hospital advocate ‘If you love wildlife, let nature feed itself’.  By continually feeding wildlife, they can become aggressive, dependant and, ultimately, sick - and what will the animal feed on when you go on holiday or move to another suburb?  

Possums naturally feed on a variety of leaves, flowers, native fruit, buds, bark, grass and, occasionally, small insects. To turn your garden into a possum buffet you can plant a variety of native plants that are indigenous to the area that you live in. Also, you may be able to leave safe dead trees and hollows of limbs as nesting areas. If you keep your compost heap enclosed you will prevent possums from scavenging and will also prevent rodents.

 

Bob the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

The Australia Zoo Rescue Unit was called to Buderim this week to rescue a beautiful Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo that had been hit by a car.

The cockatoo, named Bob by Hospital staff, is a juvenile, weighing 690g.  He was found to have suffered a broken wing from the impact with the vehicle. Our vet also found dried blood in Bob’s mouth from the car hit and he was quite dehydrated, suggesting the injury had occurred a few hours previously.

The nature of the break to his wing did not require surgery, fortunately, so Bob has had the wing strapped to hold the bones together while they heal and his treatment includes anti-inflammatories, antibiotics to prevent infection and vitamins to aid healing.

Bob is being crop-fed as he is still young.  Interestingly, the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos are fed by their parents for around 18 months.

 

Christine the Koala Joey

Last Monday our staff member Karen was called to a koala rescue at Elanora on the Gold Coast involving a female koala and her five-month-old joey. 

The pair had been attacked by a dog and a person from a neighbouring property who had witnessed the attack bravely scaled the fence and was able to rescue the mother, rushing her to the veterinary clinic at  Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.  Sadly, she was dead on arrival.  

But what of the joey?  As the rescuer tells it, when the dog was attacking the mother koala a male koala came down from a tree next door and was frantically trying to get INTO the yard.  He managed to do so and somehow ended up with the baby koala clinging to him.  He calmly and very determinedly took the uninjured joey high up the tree out of harm’s way.

Karen, with assistance from a Wildcare Australia volunteer, an EPA ranger and concerned neighbours (including Christine and Jules) then mounted a rescue to retrieve the youngster and bring her into care, as she was not yet weaned and would be unable to survive without her mother. 

In a surprising twist to this story, a red ear tag on the male enabled them to identify him as Zulu (pictured right) – a koala that had been admitted to the Australian Wildlife Hospital in April 2007.  At that time he was suffering from a sizable tumour on his chest however, with the benefit of surgery, he made a full recovery and was eventually released back onto Christine and Jules’ acreage property.  They had named him Zulu (“brave warrior”) and have kept a watchful eye on him ever since, so it seemed appropriate that the young joey, whom we believe to be Zulu’s offspring, should be named Christine. 

Whilst male koalas are notable for being absentee fathers, young Christine has Zulu to thank for her being alive and well today.

Another of our staff members, Carolyn, now has the privilege of hand-raising Zulu’s girl until she too is able to be released back to Elanora in a few month’s time.

 

Minnie and Miney the Eastern Chestnut Mice

Last week a local resident was doing some work in his backyard that disturbed a nest of native mice. The mother scurried away leaving her two young in the nest.  The resident brought the young mice, later identified as Eastern Chestnut Mice, to us at the Australian Wildlife Hospital.

Minnie and Miney are being fed special milk formula and are also having one solid meal each evening.  They will be released back to the wild in about 3 weeks when they are able to fend for themselves. Native mice are protected in Australia and should therefore be released into the bush.

Eastern Chestnut Mice grow to about 14cm long with a tail that is up to 12 cm long and are a warm brown colour with a grey/white underside. They are an uncommon species, mostly nocturnal, and live in different habitats ranging from grassland to open-forest and swampy areas. They will eat seeds, nuts, fungi and some plants and arthropods.

We encourage Wildlife Warriors to use animal-friendly mouse ‘traps’ that catch the animal without hurting it, and have the animal identification confirmed before arranging for feral, introduced species to be humanely euthanised. You can email a photo to the Queensland Museum for identification of species.

 

Masked Lapwing Plovers

This week land clearing was taking place in Beerwah, and a nest of Masked Lapwing Plovers had to be moved. The Spotter-Catcher on site brought the eggs to us at the Australian Wildlife Hospital. The eggs were very cold when they came in and we did not expect them to be viable, however when one of our nurses picked them up a second time she heard a very faint cheeping sound!

The eggs were swiftly placed on heat bags in the humidi-crib and slowly the chicks began to chip away at their shells. They needed quite a lot of help to hatch, but eventually they were out and chirping madly!

Our staff tried to take them back to the rescue site in the hope that we could find their parents and re-unite them; however it was not possible as the land clearing had scared off the parents. The chicks have gone to a very experienced bird carer who has the challenging job of feeding the chicks every half hour and teaching them to feed on their own as their parents would! It was very fortunate for the chicks that they came in to us at the right time - just before they would have naturally hatched, as it is very difficult to incubate and hatch eggs in captivity.

Masked Lapwing Plovers grow to about 35cm and live in grasslands, mud flats and urban parks and commonly can be heard calling out at night. Parents may swoop down on people or animals that are a threat to their nest.

 

Mary the Koala and her joey Toyah

Last Friday night the Australian Wildlife Hospital received an injured female koala carrying a joey.  Ten-year-old Mary and her six-month-old joey Toyah had been subjected to a prolonged attack involving rock and stick throwing by a gang of youths at the Jim Akers Park, Kallangur. This was upsetting enough for the Hospital staff and volunteer rescuers Anika and Henk Lehmann from the Caboolture Koala Care and Rescue Group, however their anguish was exacerbated by the knowledge that the gang had earlier killed a koala joey, with the body found by Anika in the bottom of a garbage bin.

Anika, an experienced rescuer who is hardened to serious injury and illness in koalas, admitted she had later been reduced to tears by the incident and still finds it hard to reconcile today.  She praised the efforts of a local resident (known only as Glenn) who happened across the gang while they were in the throes of the second attack while walking his dogs in the park.  Glenn had the presence of mind to take the youths to task and call the Caboolture Koala Care and Rescue Group who later alerted both the RSPCA and the police to the incident.

When Mary first arrived at the Hospital she was very traumatised – her pupils were fixed and dilated – but, fortunately, despite being struck several times, she had no open wounds.  Toyah was similarly distressed and anxious about his new surroundings, however a week on from the attack, both are recovering well.

Five other koalas from Kallangur (two carrying pouch young like Mary) were subsequently rescued from the same park owing to fears for their welfare.  We are continuing to liaise with the police and the QPWS and will arrange for their release when we are satisfied that their home is safe for them to return to.

 

Diamond the Red-bellied Black Snake

Last week in Cooloola Great Sandy National Park a Red-bellied Black Snake found a discarded aluminium drink can that looked like an interesting place to explore – and, perhaps not surprisingly, once he got about 15 cm of himself in, he got stuck!

Some members of the public were nearby - a gentleman had just proposed to his girlfriend - and as they were getting ready to leave they noticed that the snake was in trouble. They managed to safely pick up the snake and put it into a secure bag. They drove the snake to the Australian Wildlife Hospital where we had a venomous snake handler ready and waiting to assist our vet with his examination.

The vet was able to inject the snake with an anesthetic so that the snake handler could cut open the can. We found that the snake had gone into the can and then doubled back the other way so was REALLY stuck!  Fortunately he had no injuries at all. We kept him at the Hospital overnight for observation and then he was released back to where he came from the next day. The rescuers aptly named him Diamond in honour of the occasion!

 

Mollie and Maxine - Koala Joeys

Mollie and Maxine are 6-month-old koala joeys who were orphaned in separate incidents and have been in care at the Australian Wildlife Hospital for the past two months.  Our Hospital Manager Gail Gipp has become their surrogate mother and tends to them around-the-clock, including bottle feeding every 4 hours.

Both came into Gail’s life as “pinkies” (pouch young with no fur) in early May and were in very poor condition.  Mollie’s mother had died from septicaemia, while Maxine was found bruised on the ground after becoming separated from her mother.  Each weighed approximately 100 grams.

Both Mollie and Maxine are now growing up as sisters and developing beautifully – two weeks ago they were able to leave the confines of their shared humidicrib and are enjoying their feeds and rapidly gaining weight. 

Hand-raising koala joeys, or any wildlife, is not for the faint-hearted – it can be physically and emotionally challenging but can also enrich your life and bring about unexpected rewards. 

Arguably Australia’s best koala “mum”, Gail has hand-raised countless    animals over the past 30 years and is very open to passing on her extensive knowledge to those who are eager to learn.  Gail does however screen people to ensure they have the best interests of the animal at heart and are motivated to become wildlife carers for the right reasons – most importantly, that they are committed to the ideal that every rehabilitated animal should be returned to the wild to live as a wild animal should.     

 

Serena the Black Flying Fox

Serena was rescued and brought to the Australian Wildlife Hospital after a very unhappy week in her life. 

Unfortunately Serena was shot with an air rifle and, although she survived the shooting, she was unable to fly properly with a wound to her shoulder.  Not being able to fly made Serena vulnerable to predators and she was then attacked by an eagle.

Luckily for Serena, her home colony was on the property of a wildlife carer and her cries of distress were heard by the carer and her son.  They raced to her rescue and bravely chased the eagle away. Serena was rushed to the Hospital for treatment, as the talons on the eagle’s feet had inflicted some serious injuries to her chest, stomach and back.

At the Hospital Serena received very special treatment from Dr Claude who found that she had approximately 5 puncture holes and 8 tear wounds on her body from the eagle.  An air rifle pellet was also lodged in her shoulder.  Her wounds were thoroughly cleaned, she was given antibiotics to counteract the bacteria from the eagle’s claws and given medication to keep her as comfortable as possible.

Serena has now gone to a wildlife carer who is experienced with flying foxes and tells her every day what a brave little bat she is.  Her wounds are healing very well and, at this stage, she is spending most of her days eating and sleeping in order to regain her strength.  

 

Ely “Lucky” Grills the Koala

Our Australian Wildlife Hospital team is amazed by the story of an 8-year-old male koala we have named Ely “Lucky” Grills.

Last Wednesday afternoon, just as twilight was descending, Ely had the misfortune to be literally collected by a car on Dayboro Road, near the Petrie Quarry, in Brisbane’s Pine Rivers district.  The driver of the vehicle alleges that she thought she saw a koala on the road but had been unaware that her vehicle had made contact with him.  It was not until the driver stopped at the Petrie Train Station, some 12 kilometres on, that she was alerted to the fact that there was a koala dangling from her car’s grille by a concerned passer-by.  This prompted an urgent call to the Caboolture Koala Care and Rescue group, who despatched Rhondda Hay to assist the stricken animal.

Rhondda’s first impression when she approached the car was that the koala had been decapitated, as his body was indeed “dangling” but his head and left arm were not visible.  A closer inspection revealed that the koala’s impact with the car had been with such force that the hidden body parts had been pushed through the grille, wedging him close to the bonnet.  This impact was consistent with the 100 kilometre per hour speed limit that exists on the Dayboro Road.

There were signs of life however, thus began a very a delicate task to free

Ely, with Rhondda using household scissors to carefully cut around the grille mesh with the permission of the owner of the prestige vehicle.  A few anxious minutes ensued until it was mission accomplished and, after an initial shake of his head, a limp-bodied Ely was placed in a cage and transferred to us for urgent assessment.

Whilst Ely was clearly in shock from the experience, our vets were amazed to find that he had suffered no serious injuries.  Within two hours of his placement in our Intensive Care Unit, he was much brighter, sitting up and eating. Ely was however found to be suffering from an underlying chlamydial infection, so will remain at the Hospital for 45 days to complete the required treatment regime.

 

Happy the Kookaburra

Happy the Laughing Kookaburra was found in a chook shed by a local resident from Landsborough. He made no effort to fly away when approached and so was brought to us at the Australian Wildlife Hospital for an assessment.

Our Vet found that Happy had a broken left ulna (one of the bones in the wing) and was feeling very flat, due to the considerable pain. The break did not need to undergo surgical repair, but a figure-eight bandage was applied to hold the bones together while they heal.

Happy has now been sent to one of our experienced Kookaburra carers and will have his bandage removed in two weeks when another x-ray will be taken of his wing to ensure the bones have healed properly.  In the meantime, he will have anti-inflammatory medication to make him feel more comfortable.

In the event of a good report, Happy will then have a further two-week stint in Hospital rehabilitation, including flight practice, before being released back into the wild.

 

Marcel the Euro

The Australian Wildlife Hospital admitted a Euro joey from Stanthorpe last week. He had been orphaned when his mother was killed by a car, and he had been taken home by a member of the public. Unfortunately he was not given the right type of milk, and the teat on the bottle used for him was far too small, and so for one week he didn’t get the correct nutrition. The joey developed a candida infection of his gut as a result of the poor diet, and was surrendered to us at the Hospital.

He has now been named Marcel (strong warrior) by his trained and experienced carer and is happily enjoying the correct amount and type of food. He will stay with this carer until he is old enough to be released back to the wild (at about 16 months old).  Marcel sleeps in a pouch, but also spends some time hopping around in an outdoor fenced area. Already he has bonded with him foster ‘Mum’ and will call out to her if she is out of sight!

Euros are also known as Wallaroos and, contrary to what their name suggests, they are not a kangaroo/wallaby cross. They can range from light brown to dark grey in colour and have a longer coat that kangaroos. They are common in rocky ranges and plateaux of grassland and woodland.

At the Australian Wildlife Hospital we cannot stress enough the importance of wild animals getting care from those who are registered, trained Wildlife Carers as soon as possible. We need to remember that native animals are wild and, as such, should not be treated as pets. If you would like information on becoming a Wildlife Carer please call us on 5436 2097 and we will gladly assist you.

 

Danny Boy the Green Turtle

Some members of the public observed an immature Green Turtle swimming in the same place at the Spinnaker Marina (Bribie Island) over the course of a week.  This behaviour prompted them to call the Australia Zoo Rescue Team who were able to catch the turtle - later named Danny Boy - and admit him to the Australian Wildlife Hospital for assessment.

Upon examination our vet found Danny Boy to be suffering from an infection, so prescribed antibiotic treatment.  Danny Boy has also had a barium meal and x-rays are being taken every day to check the progress of the barium down his digestive tract.  He is eating happily and has already begun to show an improvement, so the future looks bright for this lucky turtle.

Sadly, many sea turtles suffer from a floating condition where they have a build up of gas in their gut or under their shell. This gas means they can no longer dive to feed, are more likely to be hit by boats and be attacked by sharks. One of our vets once removed 13.5 litres of gas from a large (150 kg) Green Turtle - you can imagine how painful that was for her! And still she could not dive, as she had more gas that caused her to remain buoyant! The build up of gas may be caused by a blockage in the gut from plastic etc, or by a parasitic infection that slows down gut movement.

Danny Boy will continue his treatment, and all going well, will be released back to the ocean in a few weeks time.

 

Freya the Koala

Each year the Australian Wildlife Hospital receives hundreds of sick and injured koalas that come into care for a variety of reasons.  The majority of these are caused by human impact.

Last week brought us a trauma patient whose story upset most of the Hospital staff as she suffered horrific injuries directly caused by human impact.

Freya is a seven year old female koala in beautiful condition from Kallangur. On 13 June Freya’s habitat was being bulldozed around her to make way for a housing development.  Freya went unnoticed in her tree as the bulldozers moved in and it wasn’t until the tree she was in went crashing down that she was found broken and bleeding on the ground.

Freya was rushed to the Hospital in a critical condition; she suffered a badly broken jaw that had to be surgically repaired, internal injuries that also saw her undergo abdominal surgery and she also lost her left eye as it was too badly damaged to be saved.  Freya hovered in a critical condition for several days and was given very strong pain relief and antibiotics and she was also on an IV drip.  

Freya sat up for the first time on 18 June and we are hopeful she will make a full recovery.

She is one of thousands of koalas that are injured or killed from tree felling. Unlike many, she was found and, hopefully, her life has been saved.

Human impact takes a horrific toll on our wildlife every year with millions of animals losing their lives. We must do more to preserve habitat and remember that, whilst we need our homes, so do they!

 

Fred the Blue Tongue Lizard

A couple of weeks ago a wildlife carer rescued Fred, a Blue Tongue Lizard, from a yard in Waterford where we suspect he had been attacked by a dog.

An examination on arrival at the Hospital revealed that he had extensive bruising over most of his back and chest and crushing injuries to his toes. Fred had to have one digit removed and a splint applied to that leg to allow the tissue to fully heal.  He subsequently developed an infection from the damage to the skin over his chest, but responded well to antibiotic treatment. He was also given Betadine baths for his skin infection and to help treat the wound on his leg.  After ten days his splint was able to be removed.

Fred is now eating well and has regained full function of his leg. He is due to be released back to Waterford in a few days time.

 

Helmet the Broad-Shelled Turtle

A wildlife carer was driving along the Warrego Highway last week and saw a truck hit a very large freshwater turtle that was walking on the road. Incredibly, the turtle only suffered a hairline fracture to his carapace, and there was some blood in his mouth and he had bruising to one eye-lid. The carer drove for four hours to bring the turtle, later named Helmet, to us at the Australian Wildlife Hospital.

Broad-shelled turtles are known to measure up to 35cm from head to tail along the carapace, however Helmet measures a very large 38cm. Our photo (right) shows Helmet with another freshwater turtle in care.

On admission Helmet was first put onto anti-inflammatory treatment, and later he had surgery to repair the fracture to his carapace.  We expect Helmet to make a full recovery, although it may take many weeks for the shell fracture to heal.

Broad-shelled turtles are common residents of rivers, ponds and lakes from Queensland down to Victoria. They are carnivores that feed on invertebrates and fish. In wet weather freshwater turtles will often be seen walking across roads far from waterways - please slow down to avoid hitting them.

 

Spot the Spotted Python

Rangers on Fraser Island recently found a spotted python that was severely constipated and her cloaca was prolapsing. They had observed that she had 3 hard masses in the lower abdomen.

On arrival at the Australian Wildlife Hospital an x-ray was undertaken and our Vet found inspissated faeces so surgery was performed to remove the masses.  The surgery was successful and Spot is now on the road to a full recovery.  All remaining well, she will be released back on Fraser Island in a few weeks time.

Spotted Pythons, sometimes known as Children’s Pythons, are related to carpet pythons but only grow to about one metre. They are a fawn colour with dark blotches, and live in dry forest and woodlands. Spotted Pythons are nocturnal and feed on lizards, birds and small animals, and kill their prey by strangulation, so are not venomous.

Spotted Pythons are a popular pet in Australia, and it is fairly easy to obtain licenses and buy snakes from authorised breeders. Before considering buying a pet snake it is important to do your research so that you are able to provide the best possible care.  There are many books available on caring for pet snakes.  It would also be a good idea to make sure there is a Reptile Vet in your local area.

 

Maria the Yellow-Faced Whip Snake

A Yellow-Faced Whip Snake was unfortunately attacked by a dog at Buderim this week when it ventured into its yard. When the dog’s owners found the snake they thought she was dead as she was limp with no signs of life. The next morning however, they had another look at the snake and found, to their surprise, that she was quite active and very much alive! The Australia Zoo Rescue Unit was called to collect the snake – promptly named Maria - and transferred her to the Australian Wildlife Hospital.

One of our vets found that she had extensive puncture wounds to her body but, luckily, no fractures were found.  Maria was placed on antibiotic treatment and pain relief, and her condition quickly started to improve. She is now doing very well and is very active in her enclosure. She should be released in the next few weeks.

Treating reptiles is very different to treating mammals and marsupials. They can only have antibiotics and fluids every two days due to their slow metabolisms - this effectively doubles their time in care. With the onset of winter special care must be taken during their treatment as they need to be kept warm to heal, then allowed to cool down again before release to enable them to cope with the challenges of winter on their bodies.  When they are cold they are unable to digest their food so extra care is taken to make sure the last meal we give them has been well digested before their release.

Yellow-Faced Whip Snakes are slightly venomous, small, slender snakes that only grow to about 75 cm. They live under rocks and in open grass and woodlands. They are abundant across South East Queensland.

 

Kamalaya the Thai Banded Bullfrog

Last week a Banded Bullfrog accidentally made his way from his home in Koh Samui to the Sunshine Coast in a traveller’s make-up bag!  The tourist called the Australia Zoo Rescue Unit who went immediately to fetch the frog and bring him to the Australian Wildlife Hospital where we placed him under quarantine conditions. We notified the Department of Primary Industries that we had him as introduced species have a high risk of carrying diseases which may affect our already decimated native frog species.  The Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) subsequently collected the frog from us to take to their own quarantine facility.

The tourists did the right thing by reporting the introduced species.  We need to be constantly aware of the threat of foreign species on our native species and the possible negative impact they may have on our unique Australian flora and fauna.

The Banded Bullfrog is also known as an Asian Painted Frog, Chubby Frog, Rice Frog or the Bubble Frog, and is native to South East Asia. They live on the forest floor, and eat flies, crickets, moths and grasshoppers. They are able to survive very dry conditions by burying themselves in the ground and waiting for rain.

 

Hayden the Swamp Wallaby

Last weekend we received a phone call from a veterinary surgery on the south side of Brisbane. A member of the public had dropped off a little swamp wallaby that had been orphaned when his mother was killed by a car. The staff at the vet surgery had taken an x-ray of the wallaby and found that he had a badly broken leg. They gave him some pain relief and then organised to transport him up to us at the Australian Wildlife Hospital.

When the wallaby arrived at the Hospital and was examined by one of our vets the diagnosis was not good - Hayden had an open compound fracture, with the bone protruding through the skin. This type of fracture is difficult to treat as once the bone has been exposed to air it has also been exposed to germs and this can make the healing process difficult.

The vet in charge of Hayden decided to operate on his leg and place a pin into the bone to stabilise it while it heals. Hayden came through the surgery very well, and was placed on antibiotics and pain relief to aid his healing.

Once Hayden was ready to leave the Intensive Care Unit he was sent to an experienced wildlife carer who is rehabilitating other swamp wallabies of the same age.  Hayden will however need to have regular check ups at the Hospital to monitor the healing of his leg and, at some point, the pin will have to be removed.  Hayden’s future is looking very bright at this stage and he should ultimately be able to return to the wild.

If you see a marsupial on the side of the road, please check to see if there is a joey in the pouch that can be saved.  Joeys can live for up to a week inside the pouch of a dead mother, and have a good chance of survival if they are placed into the care of trained wildlife rehabilitators.

 

Barkley the Barn Owl

Barkley is a juvenile Barn Owl who was attacked by birds in a tree, and twice during the attack he fell to the ground.

The Australia Zoo rescue team picked him up and brought him to the Australian Wildlife Hospital to have a thorough work-up by one of the vets, as it was clear that he was injured.Birds will often attack other birds and animals that are injured because they attract predators to the area.  We suspect that Barkley was initially hit by a car as he was found to have extensive bruising to his left wing as well as some bleeding in his mouth. Fortunately he does not have any fractures and his injuries will heal quickly.

Barkley has been at the Hospital for three days and is slowly getting stronger and his appetite is returning. He will continue a course of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication and will then move into a larger enclosure to allow for flight practice before being released.

Barn Owls are a common species around the world and are often seen around Brisbane suburbs. They are also known as Ghost Owls or Delicate Owls and will feed on small rodents in woodland and urban areas.

 

Zimmie the Koala

Last Monday afternoon one of our staff noticed a koala in her garden in Petrie that had a ‘dirty bottom’ which is a classic sign of the Chlamydia infection. She called the Australia Zoo Rescue Unit who arrived with their gear to rescue the koala who was, fortunately, in a small paperbark tree.

Rescuer Cory climbed into the tree, and Toby passed him the ‘flagging’ pole. Rescue teams use a long pole with a ring at the top that is covered with fabric, and place that above the  koala’s head to guide the animal down the tree. The koala, later named Zimmie, jumped into a nearby pine tree and went up quite high within a few seconds!  From the paperbark Cory was able to use the pole to flag her down far enough for Toby to continue from the ground. Our staff member, Julie, was then able to hold Zimmie against the tree before Toby was able to pick her up and put her gently in a cage.

Zimmie is a mature female, about 10 years old, and is suffering from severe cystitis.  Fortunately, she is not like most female koalas with this condition, who develop ovarian cysts.  Her bottom is stained brown from constant leakage of urine from her bladder.  Zimmie has now started a 45 day course of antibiotic treatment and supplements to treat her condition and we expect her to make a full recovery and to be released back to the wild.

The Chlamydia infection is rife in the koala population of south east Queensland and the infection may manifest as conjunctivitis or cystitis. When you see koalas in the wild please check that they are healthy with clear eyes and a white bottom, speckled with grey, that is natural camouflage for when they are high up in the trees. If the infection is caught in the early stages the koala has a very good chance of making a full recovery. If you see a koala that is not well please call our Wildlife Emergency Hotline - 1300 369 652.

 

Loggerhead Turtles

The rescue team was called to Wurtulla last Friday to collect a tiny Loggerhead Turtle hatchling that had been found in a very weak condition after struggling to get out of its nest. With that mission accomplished and the hatchling placed in the care of the Australian Wildlife Hospital, the team re-visited the site the next day to see if they could find any other hatchlings in need of help.

Sadly, they found that the nest had been laid under a pathway and so constant compression over the site meant many turtles had died trying to get out and head to the ocean. The eggs would have been laid about 8-9 weeks ago. The rescue team found that 42 were already dead in the nest, however they were able to gently take out 37 healthy and active hatchlings and immediately send them on their way into the sea. They also rescued 20 weak hatchlings which they transferred to the Australian Wildlife Hospital where we placed them in warm water to allow them to recover from their struggle to get out of the nest. We did not need to feed them as they still had part of the albumen from their eggs attached, so would get their energy needs from that.

The rescue team released the first four of these rescued hatchlings on Wednesday - 30 kilometres offshore in the eastern Australian current (just like in 'Finding Nemo'!) into deep water to give them a greater chance of survival, away from land-based predators such as sea gulls.

Research has shown that only one in one thousand marine turtles reach sexual maturity, which is why it is so important for us to do everything we can to protect turtles and their habitat and breeding sites to give each hatchling the greatest possible chance of survival. In 15 to 20 years these turtles will return to the coastal zone to eat soft corals, sponges and jellies and, after 30 years, they may come back to the region to lay eggs of their own!

 

Stakey the Magpie

The Australia Zoo rescue team responded to an emergency call from Minyama on Wednesday afternoon to rescue a Magpie that was walking around with a kebab skewer sticking out of the left side of his head!

Fortunately, once he arrived at the Australian Wildlife Hospital our vet was able to remove the skewer easily - leaving just a small wound on the side of his head. The Magpie was given the name Stakey (for obvious reasons) and is currently undergoing treatment for his injury including antibiotics to prevent infection and anti-inflammatory medication to reduce pain and swelling. Stakey will go to a carer for short period of rehabilitation before being released.

Stakey's prognosis is good, unlike many other birds that incur this terribly common injury. You can help birds like Stakey by breaking up any sticks - like those from kebabs and Pluto pups - and disposing of them properly, to ensure that other birds are kept safe.

 

Zigg the Bush Stone-Curlew

A Bush Stone-Curlew came into our care last week after he was found lying on the ground in a park in Cleveland. The rescue team travelled down to Brisbane and brought the bird - named Zigg - back to the Hospital for our vets to undertake a thorough examination.

No visible injuries were found but Zigg was extremely weak and could not stand up. Over the last few days he has shown a vast improvement and, with the help of physiotherapy, is now able to stand but is still a bit wobbly. He is being moved out of intensive care during the day to be housed outdoors for a few hours. The nurses will gradually increase his exposure to the outdoors as part of his rehabilitation until he is well enough to be released back in to the wild.

The Bush Stone-Curlew is a large (52 to 58 cm), slim, mainly nocturnal, ground-dwelling bird and is quite unusual looking. When sighted the bird will normally crouch down or stand perfectly still and rely on the plumage pattern to disguise it, rather than attempt to fly away. They were once quite common, however their numbers have declined significantly through loss of habitat and predation by foxes and feral cats.

 

Cory the Little Corella

A Little Corella came into our care on Tuesday after a concerned member of the public rescued him at a caravan park in Caloundra with an injury to its wing. He has been named Cory.

One of our vets gave Cory a full examination including an x-ray, which revealed a fracture to his left shoulder. Surgery was performed and a pin inserted. A small wound was also noted under the right wing which was flushed out with a diluted solution of chlorhexidine which is an antiseptic.

A support bandage has been applied to the left shoulder which will be re-assessed regularly over the next 2 weeks. A course of metacam has also been prescribed - this is an anti-inflammatory medication used to provide pain relief.

The pin will be removed after 20 days if the shoulder has healed. After his pin is removed Cory will be placed with a wildlife carer until he is strong enough to fly again.

 

Dempsey the Carpet Python

Dempsey - a carpet python - came into our care last week as a result of an emergency call to the Hospital. A gentleman by the name of Cameron phoned in, concerned after seeing a python with a bulging stomach and a split in its side. The rescue team was dispatched and traveled to Noosa and caught a ferry across to North Shore, found the python and rushed him back to the Hospital.

After close examination Vet Amber concluded that old scar tissue had burst after Dempsey had swallowed a sizable chicken. The saying "his eyes were bigger than his stomach" is quite accurate in this case.

Dr Amber washed down the open wound and applied thin, impregnated gauze to the area. A course of antibiotics has been prescribed to prevent any infection. Now it is a matter of waiting for the food to digest and then suturing the wound.  Hopefully Dempsey will eat smaller prey in the future.

 

Wood Ducks

Eight gorgeous ducklings (Wood Ducks) came into our care this week after their mother was sadly hit by a car on a busy road in Maroochydore. It is a heartbreaking incident that could easily have been prevented if the driver had been aware of the sign indicating a duck-crossing, and driven more slowly.

Wood Ducks nest in trees near water, sometimes directly over water, but other times up to 2 km away. After hatching, the ducklings jump down from the nest tree and make their way to water. The mother calls them to her and the ducklings may jump from heights of up to 89 metres without injury! You might be lucky enough to see a family of Wood Ducks in your area as they make their way to a waterway.

Wherever you see a sign indicating wildlife - ducks, koalas, kangaroos, or echidnas - that is the location where there have been numerous incidents of animals being hit by cars. Please slow down when you see those signs - they are there for a reason - and keep a look out for injured wildlife on the roads.

 

Pinchy the Channel-Billed Cuckoo

A Channel-Billed Cuckoo came into our care on 2 March after a resident found him in the Buderim State Forest.

Pinchy - as he has now been named - presented with a missing toe nail and swelling and bruising to the left hip. There was also evidence of some kind of trauma, possibly the result of being hit by a vehicle.

Pinchy was prescribed medication to reduce the swelling and is still unable to fully extend his left wing. He is otherwise bright and alert and will be re-assessed over the next few days. All being well, he will then be placed into long term care until he is fully rehabilitated and able to be released back into the wild.

The Channel-billed Cuckoo is not a bird we see commonly at the Australian Wildlife Hospital – it migrates to northern and eastern Australia from New Guinea and Indonesia between August and October each year and leaves again during February or March.

This type of bird is the largest parasitic cuckoo in the world. Apart from its large size, its massive pale, down-curved bill, grey plumage (darker on the back and wings) and long barred tail, make it impossible to confuse it with any other bird. In flight the long tail and long wings give the bird a crucifix-shaped silhouette.

 

Sinya the Possum

A Common Brush-tail Possum and her joey came into our care last Friday. She has been called Sinya and came to us after being taken to a local vet with injuries. She was then transferred to the Australian Wildlife Hospital for treatment.

A thorough examination by Dr Peter revealed extensive bruising and swelling to the radius (her arm) and an x-ray showed a fracture in two places. Surgery was performed to insert two pins and, thereafter, a course of antibiotics prescribed to prevent infection. Medication for pain relief was also administered.

So far Sinya is making a good recovery but will need to stay with us for at least a week and then conclude her rehabilitation with a carer.

These possums get their name from their brush-like tail and are marsupials - which means they carry their babies in a pouch. The joeys stay in the pouch and drink their mother's milk until they are 4 months old.

 

Zeb the Koala Joey

Last Thursday evening a koala joey had the good fortune to be rescued from a rain-soaked backyard vegetable garden in the northern suburbs of Brisbane thanks to the vigilance of the resident. For reasons unknown he had become separated from his mother and, despite a search, she could not be located.

On arrival at the Hospital he was immediately checked over by Hospital Manager Gail, who is an expert with koala joeys. She named him Zeb and assessed his age to be just ten months – his condition suggested that he had been separated from his mother for 3-4 days. Joeys of Zeb’s age do not have the survival skills to fend for themselves, particularly in a challenging urban environment and without the nutritional nourishment provided by their mother’s milk.

Little Zeb was exhausted from his ordeal and, not surprisingly, extremely hungry - Gail fed him infant formula and fresh eucalypt leaves overnight which he consumed with vigour. Fortunately, he was otherwise only suffering from a slightly weepy left eye and a build up of mucus in his nasal cavity.

Gail was able to place Zeb into the care of one of our staff members, Carolyn, and prescribed four hourly feeds, eye drops and a course of antibiotics to hasten his recovery.

One week on and Zeb is now thriving – he has ceased his medication and adapting well to the new experience of being in care. He will return to the Australian Wildlife Hospital when he is weaned in a few week’s time to complete the final stage of his rehabilitation before being returned to the wild.

 

Goldy the Eastern Brown Snake

Last Sunday we had a call from a member of the public to say that an Eastern Brown Snake had got his head caught in an aluminium drink can. As you can imagine, he was not a happy chappy!  Fortunately our Senior Vet Jon, who was nearby rescuing a kangaroo that had been hit by a car, was able to collect the snake straight away and bring him into the Hospital.

Jon anaesthetised the snake – quickly named Goldy - so that he was relaxed and safe to handle, and then he easily removed him from the can. Goldy had not sustained any injuries and once he had fully woken up from the anaesthetic he was able to be released back near to where he came from.

Eastern brown snakes are venomous – the venom is the second most toxic land snake venom in the world and upsets the blood clotting mechanism of its prey. They feed on rats, mice, lizards and other snakes and are active during the day. The adult is uniform in colour – they can vary from light brown, orange or black and can grow up to 2.4 metres in length.

Give all snakes a wide berth if you come across one - they will leave you alone if you leave them alone. Registered commercial snake catchers are available to relocate snakes that find their way into homes - give us a call on 1300 369 652 if you need a referral to a snake catcher in your area.

 

Whistler the Wandering Whistling Duck

Whistler came into our care this week after a keeper at Australia Zoo noticed her in amongst the Zoo's kangaroo enclosure with a drooping wing.

After being examined by Dr Stacey she was found to have two breaks in the wing. A pin was inserted to hold the bones together - the wing was then strapped and a course of Baytril (an antibiotic for bacterial infection) and

Metacam (for pain relief) were prescribed.

Whistler will have the pin removed in approximately ten days and will be in rehab for a further two weeks - it is hoped that she will then be able to be released back amongst the flock of ducks that roam about the Zoo.

 

Hooter the Masked Owl

Last week a beautiful Masked Owl came into our care after being found on the side of a road in Glasshouse Mountains. It was assumed that the owl, who was subsequently named Hooter, was hit by a car. It was apparent however, that he was also suffering from eye injuries.

An examination by Dr Peter revealed ulcerations to both eyes. Antibiotics and topical eye medication were administered over the following week and, in an effort to save Hooter’s sight, a procedure which involved stitching the eyes lids together was undertaken to the left eye which was the worst affected.

Up to this point Hooter’s prognosis was not looking promising, however a week down the track we are happy to report that Hooter has now made a full recovery and will be released back into the wild today.

The Australian Masked Owl is seldom found more than 300 km inland. They are nocturnal and their prey includes rodents, reptiles, birds, insects and bandicoots. Their population is declining and several states have this owl on their Species Conservation Status list. They are very territorial and remain in the same area all their lives.

 

Hannah the Platypus

Hannah, a young three-and-a-half month old Platypus, came into our care last week after a long drive from Uki, a small town in NSW. She was found on a bridge by a local resident who contacted the Tweed Valley Wildlife group who, in turn, contacted another wildlife carer from the Gold Coast and arranged a meeting point in Murwillumbah late that night. Hannah was a cold, exhausted and dehydrated little puggle and needed to be kept warm if she was to survive the night, so the carer turned the heater on the maximum setting in her car, which soon turned into a sauna/humidicrib enabling the puggle to warm up. (The carer on the other hand was sweating profusely!). 

The next morning the puggle was brought to the Australian Wildlife Hospital for a thorough examination – including a blood test and x-ray - by Hospital Manager, Gail, who has experience caring for platypuses. This revealed a slight respiratory infection, malnutrition and dehydration. Two deep, infected puncture wounds were also detected which could have been inflicted by the spurs of another platypus.  

Antibiotics were prescribed for the infection, fluids administered for dehydration and food and rest prescribed.  Hannah is being fed a special formula, is feeding well (see photo) and sleeping a lot – fortunately, she has a good prognosis for a full recovery.

 

Jake the Pelican

Jake, a male pelican, came to the Australian Wildlife Hospital after concerned beach-goers noticed fishing line protruding from his mouth.  Our seabird rescuers responded immediately to the call and brought him into the hospital where an x-ray revealed fishing line and a hook down his gullet. 

Surgery was scheduled for the following day and, fortunately, it was a success, with the offending items skillfully removed by Dr Jon. 

Jake is now well on the way to making a full recovery however, sadly, he is just one of a number of patients we have seen this year that have ingested items carelessly discarded around our waterways.  With so many people looking to enjoy the water this Christmas, we ask that everyone please take care to dispose of any rubbish, lines or hooks into bins rather than the ocean or shoreline to help to prevent any other wildlife having to undergo this type of ordeal.

 

Chook the Lace Monitor

A Lace Monitor was brought into our care after a phone call from a local resident requiring some assistance.  The Monitor, aptly named Chook, had apparently swallowed some chicken meat which the person was using to try and capture a feral cat.  The person became concerned when the wire attached to the meat was no longer visible on the ground. 

Consequently, our rescue team was called upon to capture and bring Chook into the Australian Wildlife Hospital.  An examination and x-ray revealed both the wire and two large chicken bones in Chook’s esophagus and stomach. 

Chook was immediately prepped for surgery to remove the bones and wire. 

Fortunately, Chook’s operation went well and it is expected that he will make a full recovery and be released back to the wild over the coming weeks.

   

Zephyr the Peregrine Falcon

A Peregrine Falcon came into our care this week and has been named Zephyr. He was found at the Readymix Quarry in Glasshouse Mountains, lying on the ground with an apparent eye injury.

One of our dedicated vets examined Zephyr and fluids were used to flush out the eyes - he had a cloudy cornea in the left eye and both eyes were suffering from ulcers. Sadly, an x-ray revealed pellets from a firearm had embedded in his spinal region.

After two days of care Zephyr was stable enough to undergo surgery to remove the pellets. Unfortunately for Zephyr, being a raptor, his eyes are his means of survival. It is a great shame that a person has inflicted an injury of this nature onto this type of bird.

We will continue to monitor him and administer medication in the hope of repairing the damage to the eye area and, ultimately, releasing this magnificent falcon back to the wild.

 

Kathryn the Pelican

Last Saturday a pelican at Bell's Creek got into trouble when she ate some fishing hooks that had a tiny piece of fish on them. She was rescued by some specialised sea bird carers and found to have fishing line coming from her mouth and tied around her body. The rescuers were unable to untangle the line around her body so brought her to us at the Australian Wildlife Hospital.

Once admitted, the line was removed and X-rays clearly showed the two hooks in her stomach so our vet began surgery immediately to remove them. The pelican was named Kathryn and, fortunately, she came through the surgery with flying colours. She is now on a course of antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and pain medication and will stay with the carers for rehabilitation for a few weeks before being released back to the wild.

Please remember when you are fishing or on the beach to pick up any fishing line and hooks and put them in the rubbish bin so that they don't cause harm to our wonderful marine animals.

 

Possum the Sugar Glider

An infant sugar glider, who was given the unlikely name of 'Possum', came into care at the Australian Wildlife Hospital this week after being transferred from a suburban veterinary clinic. He had been brought to them by concerned residents after being attacked by a cat.

Possum was examined and, fortunately, found to have no visible signs of injury. Cat attacks can lead to serious injuries and infections and, sadly, cause the death of many wild animals.

Possum was kept under observation for 24 hours then released into the care of an experienced wildlife rehabilitator who specialises in gliders. He will remain there until he is able to fend for himself in the wild at approximately 12 months of age.

Gliders are nocturnal and can glide up to 90 metres. They live in leaf nests constructed in hollows, in groups of up to 10 and are commonly found living in Queensland rainforests. They feed on wattle exudates, gum sap, nectar and insects.

 

Soakey the Brahminy Kite

A stunning brahminy kite was feeding near fishing trawlers off the coast of Mooloolaba earlier this week. Unfortunately he got himself tangled up in the fishing lines to the point where he was in the water struggling to keep himself afloat.

Members of the public got him out of the water and called some experienced sea bird carers who met them on shore and brought the kite to us. They named him ‘Soakey’- a fitting name for a bird that had found himself fully immersed in water!

At the Australian Wildlife Hospital Soakey was put under a general anaesthetic and had x-rays taken. There was a concern that he had eaten a fish with a hook inside – however our vet found nothing to indicate this on the x-rays. Soakey was then kept warm in a humidicrib for 24 hours.

He underwent a test flight the next day and flew beautifully - he was then released by our rescue team back at Mooloolaba.

 

Jack the Galah

An juvenile galah came into our care last Friday. He had been hit by a car on the Bruce Highway. Fortunately, a concerned driver who noticed the incident brought the bird in to the Australian Wildlife Hospital and named him Jack.

Jack was, understandably, in shock. He had suffered head trauma and concussion. Our vet also found that Jack's foot was turning in slightly – a condition known as pigeon-toe.   An x-ray revealed no fractures or breaks to the wings which was fortunate for Jack. He is however also undergoing treatment for suspected heavy-metal poisoning.

Jack is still under close observation in our intensive care unit, however we are hopeful of a full recovery.

 

Lucky the Lace Monitor

Lucky came into our care last weekend after a motorist accidently ran over him.  As luck would have it, the driver stopped and managed to capture him and drove straight to the Australian Wildlife Hospital.

Lucky was fortunate indeed. An examination by one of our vets revealed lacerations to the tongue along with bruising to the head. Lucky will stay in our care with the expectation that he will now make a full recovery and be released back in to the wild.

The Lace Monitor, or Lace Goanna, is a member of the monitor lizard family and are commonly known as goannas. They frequent both open and closed forests and forage over long distances (up to 3 km a day). They are mainly active from September to May, but are inactive in cooler weather and shelter in a tree hollow or under a fallen tree or large rock. The females lay between 4 to 14 eggs in spring or summer in termite nests. Their diet typically consists of insects, reptiles, small mammals, birds and birds' eggs.

Robbo the Tawny Frogmouth

A Tawny Frogmouth came into our care this week after a concerned resident found the bird sitting on the ground. He has been named Robbo and is a juvenile.

After a thorough examination by Dr Amber and with no obvious signs of ill health, Robbo will now be transferred to a registered wildlife carer where he will be monitored for a short while. Assuming all is well, he will be released back into the wild as soon as possible.

The bulk of the Tawny Frogmouth's diet is made up of nocturnal insects, worms, slugs and snails. Small mammals, reptiles, frogs and birds are also eaten. Most food is obtained by pouncing to the ground from a tree or other elevated perch. Some prey items, such as moths, are caught in flight, which has led to many unfortunate instances of birds being hit by cars while chasing insects illuminated in the beam of headlights.

With their nocturnal habits and owl-like appearance, Tawny Frogmouths are often confused with owls, but are actually more closely related to the Nightjars. Their feet are weak, and lack the curved talons of owls. The Tawny Frogmouth is found throughout Australia, including Tasmania. It can be seen in almost any habitat type except the denser rainforests and treeless deserts.

Womble the Puggle

A puggle (young echidna) came into our care after being found by a farmer while ploughing his land about 40 km out of Emerald. After discovering that he had unearthed the nursery burrow, he contacted us for advice.

We arranged for the puggle, quickly named Womble, to be flown down to Brisbane and then transferred to the Australian Wildlife Hospital to be hand-raised. In their natural environment echidnas dig a nursery burrow and deposit the puggles, returning every five days to suckle them until they are weaned at seven months. Unfortunately because this burrow had been dug up the only chance of survival for Womble is through our care.

After examination by our vets he was found to be very healthy with no injuries. Womble is now in the care of our senior vet nurse, Vicky, until he is old enough to be released back out into the wild.

 

Pengy The Penguin

Our very unique patient of the week is a Little Penguin. It is very unusual for a penguin to be found this far north and there have only been 5 reported findings in the past 20 years. Pengy may have been caught up in the storms experienced down south and swept up the coastline. He was found by a camper at Sandy Cape on Fraser Island, who then reported it to the local Parks and Wildlife Ranger.

Pengy was admitted to the Australian Wildlife Hospital for a check over by one of our vets. He weighed 600 grams when admitted and it was determined that he should achieve a goal weight of 1000 grams before being released back into southern waters.

Pengy was otherwise given a clean bill of health and placed into the care of some experienced sea bird rehabilitators. He is enjoying a diet of fresh seafood and has subsequently gained 200 grams since being in care.

 

Bart the Hawksbill Turtle

Queensland Parks and Wildlife rangers were patrolling the shark nets at Rainbow Beach this week when they found a rare Hawksbill Turtle floating against the side of the nets, unable to dive.

Sadly, Bart is one of many turtles we admit to the Hospital each year that are diagnosed as "floaters". They get a build up of gas in their gut or under their shell that prevents them from diving to feed; it also leaves them susceptible to boat strikes and even sunburn damage to their shells. This gas build up can be caused by a parasitic infection or a blockage caused by something like a plastic bag. A single plastic bag has been known to cause the death of up to 50 marine animals before finally decomposing. It is very difficult to see if a plastic bag has been ingested by a turtle because the density of plastic means it is not able to be identified on an x-ray, and it is very difficult to operate on a marine turtle. Deconstruction and replacement of the shell can take years to heal.

We are treating Bart with anti-parasitic medication, de-gas tablets and antibiotics; he has also been placed on IV rehydration fluids and will undergo ultrasound and x-rays to help with the further evaluation of the problem.

With time and a lot of TLC we have been able to rehabilitate many turtles and release them back to the wild and we hope that Bart will be one of them. He is now eating squid happily on his own, which is a good sign.

Please be sure to throw litter into a closed rubbish bin to ensure it does not end up in the sea where it causes so much harm!

Lace Monitors - Smallies 1 and 2

Our patients of the week this week are two very special lace monitors. They have been named Smallies 1 and 2 and were brought into the hospital by Briano and Tosh, two of our animal rescuers, six months ago as eggs! Their mother was nowhere to be seen when our rescuers came upon their nest in Beerburrum that was disturbed by a bulldozer.

When lace monitors produce eggs, they are laid in termite nests where they become entombed by termites. These eggs were rescued from a site where land-clearing was taking place, and were placed in an incubator.

The lace monitors are now 3 months old and are ready to be released back to the wild.

Greater Glider Maxine

Maxine was found by passers-by lying on a road. When she came into our care she was found to be nursing an injury to her tail but is now responding well to treatment.

She is feeding well on a diet of a variety of eucalypt leaf. The Greater Glider's natural habit is the eucalypt forests and the tall open woodlands.

They are found throughout eastern Australia from Victoria to Northern Queensland and they vary in weight from 900 - 1700 grams for southern species and 650 grams for the smaller northern species.

Tucker the Water Dragon

Tucker, a water dragon, was sunning himself when he was attacked by a dog. Fortunately the dog's owners rescued him and brought him to the Hospital.

Our vet, Dr Amber, found that he was in shock, with deep wounds to his tail. The very tip of his tail needed to be surgically removed, and depending on how well it heals, he may still need to have a larger part of the tail amputated. The good news is that water dragons survive well with part of their tails amputated, and we expect Tucker to make a full recovery.

Water dragons are found along the eastern fringe of Queensland and are common residents of suburbia close to creeks - even in inner Brisbane. They readily hide in water if approached, are great swimmers and can remain submerged for a few minutes. Look out for them in your garden - they are wonderful to have as they eat small bugs which would be feeding off your plants.

Ningi the Emu

Our patient of the week this week is an emu chick whom we have named Ningi.

Ningi was attacked by a bird of prey and sustained three large puncture wounds to his body. He was found in the Quilpie area - his concerned rescuer phoned us for advice on feeding until she could bring him into our hospital for treatment.

When Ningi came to us on 5 September he was found to be dehydrated so he was given sub-cutaneous fluids, was prescribed antibiotics and had his wounds flushed to prevent infection.

Ningi will be rehabilitated with a volunteer carer over the next couple of weeks then released back into the wild.

 

Orphan Update - Luke and Charlotte

We are pleased to report that two earlier patients - Squirrel Gliders, Luke and Charlotte - are continuing to thrive.

Their excellent condition is testament to dedication of their volunteer carer.

 

 

Casper the Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo

Our patient of the week is a Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo named Casper. You will often see these magnificent birds soaring over the tree tops and letting out a loud call. They form large flocks in winter and feed on native trees and shrubs, including eucalypts, banksias and feed on wood boring insects and pine seeds around pine plantations. They can grow up to 65cm.

Casper was bought into us by a member of the public after being found on the ground. He is an immature cockatoo and is in poor body condition and appears to have been sick for some time with a coccidia infection. The infection is so severe that it has caused a cloacal prolapse and a yeast infection. He has now had surgery to repair his cloaca and is on antibiotics. He is making a slow recovery and will stay with us for some time before going to a wildlife carer for further rehabilitation then, hopefully, being returned to the wild.

Hawkeye the Pacific Baza

Our patient of the week is a Pacific Baza who has been named Hawkeye and was bought to us by a concerned member of the public on the 19th August. Hawkeye was found hanging upside down in a tree after flying into a truck.

An examination by one of our vets revealed bruising around the eye and a fracture to the fibula. He is improving each day and is now feeding himself which is very encouraging. We are planning for him to be able to leave the hospital within a few days to be looked after by a raptor carer in order to continue his recovery and rehabilitation before being released back into the wild.

Tango the Koala

Tango is a small, very cute two-year-old koala who came to us last week from Bundaberg. She was hit by a truck on Friday night and taken to a local veterinarian. X-rays revealed a broken right femur and she also had multiple lacerations to her face. The veterinarian from Bundaberg drove Tango to the Australian Wildlife Hospital on Saturday afternoon, realizing a koala with such serious injuries was outside her area of expertise.

On arrival, Tango was given pain relief and antibiotics and placed on IV fluids and her surgery was scheduled for Sunday. Dr Jon and Dr Amber performed the surgery, using plates and screws to repair the break. Tango is still in the Intensive Care Unit, however she is recovering well and getting stronger each day.

Tango was named by a special group of children who visited the Australian Wildlife Hospital on Friday 17 August to mark KIDS Foundation's Injury Free Day.

The group of twelve children, each of whom has serious injuries themselves, was visiting the Sunshine Coast from across Australia to participate in TANGO, a personal development and leadership program designed to assist young people with life-changing injuries to discover their talents, achieve their goals and experience new opportunities.

They will be monitoring Tango's progress over the next 2-3 months, after which time she is expected to be released back to the wild.

Bandit the Carpet Python

A 2.5 metre carpet python was sunning himself on a road in Ilkley so some concerned members of the public stopped their cars to try to get him out of harm's way. Another car approached and the rescuers tried to slow it down but it continued forward and drove straight over the snake!

The rescuers were able respond quickly to put him in a box and bring him in to us. He has been named Bandit, and is moving well which is a good sign. He will have to stay with us for at least 8 weeks of observation because it can take some time for internal injuries to become evident in such large reptiles.

Snakes are protected animals in Australia and need your help to conserve them and their habitat. If you find a snake that is in need of assistance, please call our 24 hour emergency number 1300 369 652.

 

Koala Joeys - Angel and Gillian

At the weekend we admitted two koala joeys into our care - Gillian and Angel, both around 5 months old. The joeys were from separate mums but both had suffered tree falls. The joeys were dropped as male koalas were trying to mate with their mums. Gillian was homed with an experienced carer to be hand-raised and eventually released back into the wild. Angel is being looked after at the hospital as she suffered more serious injuries, including spinal damage. Angel has been placed in a humidicrib and is on a course of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication and is being closely monitored.

If you have koalas in your area, please keep an eye out for these vulnerable little ones and call us on 1300 369 652 if you have any wildlife emergencies.

Majestic the Black-Necked Stork

This week we received a call from a member of the public who reported that there was a single Black-Necked Stork that had been mixing with a flock of pelicans at the Donnybrook Boat Ramp for two weeks. It is quite unusual to see these wonderful birds in south-east Queensland, particularly at a boat ramp - they normally inhabit wetlands and swamps. The person was concerned that the bird had stayed in the one place for two weeks.

We sent two experienced bird carers to the rescue and, with plenty of patience, they were able to safely catch the bird and bring him in to us. He is a juvenile and has been named Majestic.

Our Vet found him to be underweight, with sores on his feet, and an x-ray showed six hooks and a swivel in his gut. Most of the hooks are disintegrating on their own, but the swivel may need to be surgically removed at a later date. Majestic has gone into care with the ladies who rescued him - he is doing well and eating 16 yellow-tails each day! We expect him to stay in care for quite some time, before – hopefully -  releasing him back to the wild.

Jenny the Pelican

Earlier this week Pelican and Seabird Rescue received a phone call from a lady at Cabbage Tree Point, in the Logan Shire, reporting a pelican with a large amount of fishing line hanging from her mouth. Fortunately, Jenny the Pelican was fairly easy to catch and she was rushed up to the Australian Wildlife Hospital.

Dr Jon, our head vet, examined her she was very underweight with about 10 metres of fishing line hanging from her beak. The loss of body condition indicated that the fishing line had been with her for some time. Then, on X-ray examination, something far worse than the fishing line and a hook were found in her stomach - a 40cm piece of wire! Jenny had to be prepped for immediate surgery.

A laparotomy, a procedure where the abdomen is surgically cut to gain access to the intestinal tract, was performed and a very large piece of wire, as well as the fishing hook, was removed. It appears that the wire had come loose from a crabbing pot The inside of Jenny's stomach was very inflamed and sore which, again, indicates that she had ingested the items some time ago.

If having wire in her stomach wasn't bad enough, Jenny also has a condition called 'bumble foot'. Bumble foot is found in water birds that have been in captivity and have been inappropriately housed, with hard and unsuitable flooring. To correct this condition she may have to have her foot splinted and lots of supportive therapy in the future.

Jenny is now on a course of antibiotics, supplementary IV fluids and being looked after by dedicated seabird carers. She is recovering from the surgery and, so far, progressing well.

Ted the Grey Goshawk

On Tuesday our rescue vehicle collected a Grey Goshawk from Maleny who had been hit by a car. Grey Goshawks are magnificent birds of prey that feed almost exclusively on other birds. They require precision flying skills and perfect function in their talons to hunt effectively.

When our vets anaesthetised Ted for examination they found that he had a few more issues than were apparent on the surface. He was severely dehydrated and had suffered deep wounds to both his feet, probably over a week beforehand. He was also suffering from a secondary stress-related infection in his mouth called Trichomoniasis. Both of these were probably contributing to Ted's emaciation and dehydration and he was in a very bad way when he arrived at the hospital.

He is currently in our intensive care humidicrib receiving intravenous fluids and antibiotics. Sadly for Ted, he will need to have one of his toes amputated once he is in a more stable condition. Dr Peter, our specialist in raptor treatment, will perform this surgery however he is confident that he will ultimately have a successful release back into the wild. Fortunately, the badly affected toe is not essential for effective hunting, and he should cope well.

Grey Goshawk (Accipiter novaehollandiae) is also known as the White Goshawk. It is distributed over much of the northern and eastern sides of Australia but, sadly, has become rare due to clearing of native habitats. It feeds primarily on birds, but the larger females will also prey on mammals.

Orphan Update - Luke and Charlotte

This week we would like to report on the progress of two very special Squirrel Gliders, Luke and Charlotte. You may remember their story from a few weeks ago. These siblings lost their mum as a result of a cat attack. They were very lucky to survive the attack themselves and since have been adopted by a 'foster mum'.

The pair were so small at the time of rescue; they needed to be fed every two hours to supplement what their mum would have been feeding them. By the end of the first week they fell ill and had to come back to the Australian Wildlife Hospital to see the Vet. They have since recovered and are doing much better.

Luke and Charlotte's carer has been doing a wonderful job of looking after them and now has them feeding every four hours, which is six feeds a day! They are gaining weight and strength gradually and are very fortunate to have the dedication of their carer to raise them up.

It is a tragedy that Luke and Charlotte lost their mum to a cat attack, but now they are in the best foster care and are being given a chance of survival.

Turt's Release

This week was very exciting for all of the Australian Wildlife Hospital team, as we were able to release one of our very special patients.

You may remember our story about "Turt" the Green Turtle who was rescued from Mooloolaba back on Anzac Day. After our vets had removed a fishing hook and fishing line from her, she began to make great improvements and we are glad to report she made a full recovery.

Turt was taken back to Mooloolaba to be released by the team of vets, nurses, volunteers and rescuers that all helped her along during her recovery stages. This is definitely the best part of our job - what we look forward to most of all is a successful recovery and release!

At the Australian Wildlife Hospital, we currently treat more than 5000 patients per year for illness and injury and, as the human encroachment on wildlife habitat expands, we can expect an increase in our patient numbers. Most wildlife become sick or injured due to human interference and with marine turtles, it is usually from discarded fishing tackle and plastics, or boat strikes. In Turt's case, it was the initiative of the family who noticed her unable to dive, that saved her life. Had Turt been left in the wild as she was, she certainly wouldn't have made it.

Honey the Koala and her adopted joey Malibu

The Caboolture Koala Care and Rescue Group went out to a rescue late on Friday night, for a koala and her joey hit by a car at Narangba. The mother was run over by a car, as indicated by tyre marks across her left hip, and her newly-furred joey was tragically thrown out of the pouch and died instantly.

The rescuers named the mother 'Honey' and brought her to us at the Australian Wildlife Hospital. She was assessed and found to have major trauma to her mouth. This type of trauma is common when koalas are hit by cars, as their teeth bite into their tongue on impact. Honey's front incisors were badly damaged, but the good news is that these teeth continue to grow in koalas throughout their lifetime.

Dr Amber stitched up her badly lacerated tongue and washed out her mouth with antiseptic and prescribed pain killers, anti-inflammatories and antibiotics to prevent infection. Her injuries improved significantly within the first 24 hours and she should make a full recovery soon.

The very next night, another female koala and her joey were stuck by a car and rushed to the Australian Wildlife Hospital for treatment. Sadly, the mother didn't survive the journey and passed away on the drive here. Her young joey was protected in the pouch at the time of the accident and luckily escaped physical injury, however the emotional trauma of tragically losing her mum would have been very scary for her.

There is a happy ending to this sad story however, as Honey has happily adopted "Malibu" the joey as her own. She is very protective of her and will nurture and raise her until she is fully weaned off her milk and big enough to go out to the wild on her own. It surely was fate that brought this special mum and koala joey together and they make a perfect pair.

We are heading into the breeding season for koalas and so they are more active at night and more likely to be on the roads. Please slow down on the roads and look out for our wildlife. If you see an injured animal please stop and call us on our 24 hour emergency number: 1300 369 652.

Nelson the Koala

This week the rain has brought in a large variety of animals. Nelson the koala was one who was rescued from Kipparing, in the Redcliffe Shire.

This poor boy had spent the last few days on the ground, where members of the public were able to get right up close and pat him – which is very unusual behaviour for a wild koala! Volunteer rescuers were notified and were able to collect Nelson and get him up to the vets at the Australian Wildlife Hospital for assessment and treatment.

At an estimated 5-6 years of age, Nelson was in very poor body condition on arrival. Our vets have detected severe conjunctivitis in his left eye which will need a course of antibiotics to clear up. An x-ray and ultrasound were also taken to investigate his internal organs. In addition, they have taken blood samples from him to send away to pathology for testing. These tests will help determine whether Nelson is suffering from any other ailments and, from there, we will be able to prescribe further treatment.

Nelson will be stabilized in Intensive Care until our test results come back and, in the meantime, we will continue to provide the best care for him, keeping him well fed and comfortable.

Remember, if you come across any native wildlife that you think is sick or injured, call the Australian Wildlife Hospital on 1300 369 652 for advice.

Turt the Green Sea Turtle

Turt was rescued twice in one day on April 25th! It was a busy day out on the water, with perfect conditions and everyone enjoying the Anzac Day public holiday.

In the first instance, some fisherman had noticed Turt floating around on the surface and, when they got close enough, lifted the 19 kg turtle into their boat for a closer inspection. There was a discarded fishing hook lodged in her mouth that they were able to remove for her. Thinking that she was ok, they released her back into the water, where she floated around for a while before another concerned family noticed her in trouble.

They too were able to lift her into their boat and look after her while the Coastguard alerted the Rescue Team at the Australian Wildlife Hospital with the details. While the Rescue Team were on their way, the family kept Turt nice and calm and cool in the shade of their boat canopy. They moored alongside the jetty so she could be easily transferred to the Rescue Vehicle and back to the Australian Wildlife Hospital for treatment.

Turt had to undergo surgery to remove a hook that was embedded inside her (see x-ray photo). The poor girl had ingested alot of fishing line and it was all caught up in her intestines and gut and, as a result, she has had a big accumulation of gas under her shell which was causing her to float. The vet placed her on a course of treatment and, hopefully, in time, will be able to swim and dive normally again.

She didn't have much of an appetite when she arrived, so we have kept offering her some tasty treats to eat with her medication! This week she has begun eating a variety of fish, squid and sea grass and her strength is improving rapidly. She has also started submerging, which is a good sign she's well on the way to a full recovery.

Every year more than 6 million tonnes of rubbish is dumped into the world's oceans and is the cause of painful injuries to much of our precious marine life. It is up to us to keep our waterways clean and free of rubbish to avoid seeing cases like Turt's in the future. Our team of vets, nurses and volunteers have done a wonderful job helping Turt to recover but, of course, it couldn't have been possible without the initial rescue by the lovely family that day! Thanks are extended to everyone involved as she certainly wouldn't have made it out in the wild for much longer without intervention.

Squirrel Gliders Luke and Charlotte

A young boy found a dead squirrel glider in his garden on Saturday morning and noticed that her pouch was moving. He called his dad and together they took the glider to their local vet, who referred them to the Australian Wildlife Hospital.

It is estimated that the mother had been dead for more than 12 hours, and found puncture wounds to her body which are tell-tale signs of an attack by a cat. The young boy named the two joeys that were squirming inside their mother's pouch Luke and Charlotte. Nurse Jo gave the joeys some glucose, as they were very dehydrated, and put them inside a pouch to keep warm. Luke and Charlotte were then entrusted to one of our wildlife carers, who specialises in caring for gliders and will hand-raise the pair.

We appeal to all cat owners to keep their cats indoors unless they are accompanied outside and encourage you to put a collar with a bell around your cat's neck. This bell can be a warning to all wildlife that danger is approaching, so they have a better chance of staying out of harm's way. If any wild animal is attacked by a cat it is important to keep them warm in a dark box, and then to seek veterinary help as soon as possible to treat them for shock, trauma and infection.

Skittles the Scaly-breasted Lorikeet

Skittles is a scaly-breasted lorikeet who was rescued from the local area a little while ago. He's a real little character with a great personality but, unfortunately, he suffers from Beak and Feather Disease. This means he is quite sick and sadly - it's a disease that commonly affects lorikeets and sulphur-crested cockatoos in the area.

The disease was first positively diagnosed and shown to be caused by a virus in 1987, after it caused a significant number of deaths among threatened parrots. The virus kills feather and beak cells. The symptoms of balding, feather distortion and beak deformities have been recognised in captive birds for many years, but their cause was unknown. Symptoms include diarrhoea and feather abnormalities, with most birds eventually dying. Death may occur suddenly within one to two weeks of the first symptoms.

It is so sad that there is no known treatment for this disease so the team here at the Australian Wildlife Hospital have embarked on a research program to get some answers. Skittles has become a major player in this research and is one of twelve lorikeets in the program. All they have to do is donate a little bit of blood once a week to be sent away for testing. The aim of this project is to see whether the disease progresses the same way in lorikeets as it does in other parrot species - that is whether lorikeets become carriers and subsequently can infect other wild parrots. A project such as this will help determine whether lorikeets can clear the disease completely and subsequently be released back into the wild with no detrimental affects to other wild parrots. Our vets can also observe whether lorikeets effected by PBFD continue to shed the virus after the active stage of the disease has finished and their feathers grow back.

The program is still in its early stages, so it will be some time before we see the results. In the meantime, we will be looking after Skittles and his buddies here at the Australian Wildlife Hospital.

Hyabusa the Sea Eagle

On Sunday a fisherman was enjoying a day out on the Pumicestone Passage when he noticed a White Bellied Sea Eagle sitting on the bank unable to fly. He was able to put a towel over the bird and contain it in a box. He kept it in a dark, quiet place overnight and contacted a bird carer, Maureen, on Monday morning. Maureen collected the bird and brought him immediately to the Australian Wildlife Hospital to be assessed by one of our vets, Dr Stacey, who specialises in avian medicine.

Maureen named the Sea Eagle 'Hyabusa' which is Japanese for 'Bird of Prey'. Dr Stacey assessed Hyabusa and found a puncture wound on his left leg. X-rays were taken and luckily showed no bone damage. There is no way of knowing what caused this wound but it was flushed out, and Hyabusa was started on a treatment of antibiotics, pain killers and anti-inflammatories.

Hyabusa has made it through the first critical 24 hour period of being in care and has a good grip on his perch, which is a good sign. His leg is still very bruised, but hopefully the treatment will be a success and he will be able to be released back to the wild in a few weeks.

The White Bellied Sea Eagle is the largest coastal bird of prey and they are usually found in pairs over coastal islands, reefs, estuaries and bays - and often far inland on major rivers. Look out for them soaring high in the sky when you are on the coast!

Ebb the Koala

Ebb is young koala who was found abandoned in the Pine Rivers area and admitted to the Australian Wildlife Hospital in February. There had been no mum in sight, so we can only assume that something happened to her as he was too young, at under one year of age, to be left by himself.

One of our older female patients, Jamie, has since become a surrogate mother to young Ebb and they have established a close bond during their rehabilitation together.

This week there has been quite a bit of activity outside in the hospital grounds, and some machinery has been used to start excavating the site for the new Australian Wildlife Hospital, which will be the world's largest. Whilst it has been something of a milestone to see the construction work get underway, all the activity on day one caused Ebb some anxiety, so since then he has been spending his days in the relative calm of the Intensive Care Unit and returning to his outdoor enclosure at the end of every afternoon.

Ebb is progressing very well in terms of his physical development, but is not yet displaying signs of independence so he will remain in care until he is a little more mature and ready to fend for himself in the wild.

Tank the Saw Shell Turtle

Tank the Saw Shell Turtle was brought into us from a carer who collected him from a vet surgery in Strathpine. Because of our expertise in wildlife medicine many vet surgeries choose to send wildlife cases to us for treatment.

Poor Tank had a fish hook down his distal oesophageus, as you can see on the X-ray picture below. The fish hook was too embedded to remove through the mouth so Dr Che had to surgically remove it through the neck. Tank is recovering in intensive care and is currently on a course of pain relief and antibiotics.

Tank appears a lot brighter today and the vets are happy with his progress so hopefully it won't be long until Tank is back out in the wild.

Below are some interesting turtle facts taken from the website listed below:-

http://www.abc.net.au/creature

features/facts/turtles.htm

• A group of turtles is called 'a bale of turtles'
• Turtles shed their shell as they're growing; this skin resembles a burnt leaf.
• The largest turtle in the world is the Leathery Turtle whose shell is up to 2.4 metres long and can weigh up to 860kg.
• Turtles and tortoises are the oldest forms of reptiles alive today and have changed very little in their 200 million year history.
• Turtles and tortoises are the only reptiles that have a shell built into their skeleton.
• Turtles don't have teeth, but instead have horny ridges that are serrated and sharp on their upper and lower jaws.
• Tortoises are related to the Turtle family. They live on land, have elephantine legs and eat vegetation.
• You can tell the difference between a male and a female turtle by the length of their tail and the shape of the back of their shell. Males have a longer tail while females are generally bigger.
• The Snake-Necked Turtle's long neck enables them to draw breath at the surface without exposing the rest of the body to predators.
• Some turtles can breathe underwater through their bottoms, especially during hibernation.
• One of the most unusual turtles is from North and Central America and called the Alligator Turtle (or Snapping Turtle). It has shield-like scales, similar to an alligator, and a special tongue that moves like a worm underwater. Any unsuspecting fish trying to eat 'the worm' will become the turtle's next dinner.

 

Aspen the Eastern Brown Snake

Aspen was rescued this week from a house at Elimbah. The owners were quite used to her living in their garden shed and happy to have her there too! They had however mistaken her for a harmless python, not realizing she was a highly venomous snake.

On Wednesday they noticed that she had entangled herself in some netting in the bucket she was living in so it was good they called the Australian Wildlife Hospital when they did!

Our rescue team were able to untangle her and bring her in to be checked out by Dr Amber, who teamed up with Deon from the Reptile Department at Australia Zoo to examine Aspen's injuries. Working with a venomous snake requires an experienced handler who knows exactly how the snake should be treated and, in this case, allowed our rescue team to head straight back out to another rescue!

Dr Amber and Deon firstly had to safely guide Aspen's head into a clear perspex tube to ensure that she was unable to bite anyone whilst getting an injection of anaesthetic. Once safely asleep, Deon was able to monitor Aspen's breathing rate while Dr Amber cleaned up the wounds caused by the net cutting into her. Dr Amber also had to stitch together a few areas which should heal up nicely.

All going well, we can expect Aspen to make a good recovery and be released safely back into the wild where she won't be a bother to people.

Pollard the Possum

A cute little Ring Tail Possum was found on the veranda of a Caloundra residence yesterday. The poor thing was curled up in a ball, covered in saliva and blood from a cat attack. At only 107g, she didn't stand much of a chance against the cat at all. All too often here at the Australian Wildlife Hospital, we see the poor victims of domestic pet attacks.

Pollard was lucky and got to the Hospital as soon as possible and was able to be treated straight away. This quick rescue certainly saved her life. After treating the puncture wounds on her skin, it was found that her left hind foot had a broken toe with the bone exposed. Surgery was the only option as a severe injury like that could have become badly infected, not to mention very painful! Dr Amber had to surgically remove this broken toe which was a very delicate operation (Pollard has very small toes!).

All was a success and now Pollard is being cared for by one of our wonderful, dedicated wildlife carers. She will be fed and her bandages changed until her wounds heal, then hopefully she can go back to the wild where she belongs.

Little Loggerhead Turtles

Last Wednesday was turtle day at the Australian Wildlife Hospital! There were reports of little baby turtles washing ashore all along the coastline. The poor little things, just recently hatched along various Sunshine Coast beaches, struggled with the big swells and rough winds on their way out to the deep blue.

Members of the public and Council Lifeguards were on the ball and quickly notified us of the strandings. Dedicated wildlife rescue volunteers were a wonderful help in transporting the little ones around and getting them into care.

Luckily, with no injuries, they will soon be able to be released off Steve's research boat, Croc One, back into the currents where they belong. Unfortunately, only an estimated 1 in 1000 hatchling turtles will survive to an adult age, so whenever and however we can help them, we will!

If you find a sick, injured or lost turtle on your local beach, remember to call us on 1300 369 652 or QPWS Marine Stranding Hotline Number 1300 130 372. They will be able to advise you about what to do!

Kerry the Koala

Kerry the Koala spent four long days tangled in a barbed wire fence before being rescued by carers at the Gold Coast. She was badly injured and very stressed out by the time she was found. Residents of the area had noticed her but failed to report her until four days later!
A severe tear to her pouch meant re-construction surgery and sadly the loss of a little joey koala she had been carrying. This is so unfortunate and such a painful ordeal for Kerry to go through. She is still recovering in Intensive Care at the moment and will move outside when she stabilizes. Until then we will keep her as comfortable as possible and treat her wounds so they do not get infected.

Sadly, barbed-wire fences claim the lives of many species each year, including possums, gliders, flying foxes and birds. Another victim of a barbed wire entanglement this week was a juvenile Kookaburra. The wire was embedded into the skin of the right wing but luckily the quick response of a wildlife carer and our vets was able to save its life. It too will need time in Intensive care to recover before being released back into the wild.

Bill the Kookaburra

Bill the kookaburra was admitted to the Australian Wildlife Hospital on Valentine's Day. Sadly for him, he was hit by a car 24 hours prior to being admitted. He has a fracture to his left tibiotarsal (shin bone). Dr Amber commenced surgery immediately and placed an intramedullary pin into his leg.

This stabilised the fracture and will remain in place for at least two weeks. Bill has been placed on antibiotics and will require lots of loving care over the next few weeks. Bill did not get to have Valentine's dinner with loved ones but Dr Amber expects a speedy recovery.

 

 

Trey's friend Finn

Finn is the second platypus that has come into care in the last two weeks. Strangely, he was found walking on the highway at Kiels Mountain. It was obvious he'd been on his own for a while, due to his poor body condition. He was very de-hydrated and skinny, which meant any longer out there and he probably wouldn't have survived.

Here at the Australian Wildlife Hospital, he has made friends with Trey who came into Gail's care a few weeks beforehand. This is good for both of them, as they get to grow up together and enjoy each other's company during rehabilitation. Their favourite time of the day is definitely swim time! Watching them play in their pool and forage for mealworms is a highlight for the staff and volunteers to witness and great fun for them too.

Unfortunately, in the area that Finn was found, there was a lot of evidence of recent land clearing and development. Often, when excavating equipment is used, platypuses' burrows are wiped out, leaving the inhabitants stranded and with nowhere to safely live. It's very lucky Finn wasn't run over by a car or truck on his travels down the highway and, with the dam and creek levels dropping, there is now less and less suitable habitat available for them to live.

Gail will be caring for Trey and Finn for some time, but the future for them is looking good.

Monet the Rainbow Lorikeet

Monet the Rainbow Lorikeet was brought into the hospital from Caloundra on 5 February 2007. He is unfortunately one of many parrots hit by cars that we see here at the Australian Wildlife Hospital.

Part of the reason why these beautiful birds get into so much trouble with cars is due to native flowering shrubs being planted on islands in the middle of busy roads. Planting of native plants is a brilliant idea if planted in the right locations. Planting them in your gardens (if domestic animals are controlled) is a great way to attract our native birds.

Monet is currently in intensive care with neurological trauma. He has been placed on a series of medication. Monet is however doing well - if he is not chirping away, he is happily preening himself. We are hopeful that his rehabilitation will remain on track so that he can be returned to the wild where he can be with his other Rainbow Lorikeet friends.

Karen the Shingleback Skink

This week, a lonely Shingleback Skink was dropped off at the gates of the Australian Wildlife Hospital. We are very used to getting lizards and skinks brought in, but not of the Shingleback variety, as they are not commonly found in this area. This little one was noticed by some passersby whilst driving out west. Thinking it to be sick, they decided to rescue it and bring it with them on their visit to Australia Zoo. It was very underweight and had a fungal and bacterial skin infection.

To clear this up, our vets have placed Karen on a treatment of antibiotics, and our nurses give her a daily soak in a diluted Betadine solution. Hopefully, after a week of this treatment, Karen will have made a significant improvement, and will also be back on a proper diet in order to get back into a good body condition.

Shinglebacks are very close relatives of the Blue-tongue Lizard; however they prefer the dryer climates, which is why they're generally found west of here. They are very interesting-looking skinks, with rough scales, quite dark in colour and a broad triangular-shaped head and tail to confuse predators!

However, it's cars that are the main threat to these skinks. As they are commonly found sunbaking on the roads, Shingleback Skinks are often overlooked by motorists and sadly run over. It is important to keep a sharp eye out for all wildlife on and near our roads and slow down where caution signs are posted.

Next time you visit Australia Zoo, you may be lucky enough to bump into a member of the Wandering Wildlife Team and meet a Shingleback Skink up close and personal! They have a small family of Shinglebacks that have been raised and live at the Zoo, so be sure to keep an eye out for them.

Trey the Platypus

One of the most unique Australian native animals is arguably the platypus. Part of the monotreme family (whose only other member is the echidna), platypus certainly are amazing! Few people are lucky enough to catch a glimpse of these nocturnal creatures in the wild. So you can imagine our surprise this week when young Trey was admitted to the Australian Wildlife Hospital in a very critical condition. He was very weak, underweight and had a serious skin condition. Orphaned, with no chance of survival in the wild, he is now in care with our Hospital Manager Gail; she has taken on the role of 'surrogate mum' to this little Aussie battler.

Raising an orphaned platypus is very involved, with feeding required every few hours and medication for his dermatitis administered regularly. There is also swim time, when Trey gets to go fossicking in his pond for meal worms and other yummies that make up his complete dietary requirements. This is also great enrichment for Trey as he gets to practise the vital skills that will help him to survive in the wild.

Platypus and echidnas are the world's ONLY living monotremes, and it is here in eastern Australia that the platypus calls home. So, it is up to us to ensure that their habitat is conserved and protected, not polluted. Platypus sightings are rarer these days, which indicates that with the rapid growth in residential and commercial development, comes the rapid decline of such special wildlife.

Buckey the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

Buckey was found on the ground at a property at Clagiraba on the Gold Coast. He was found with an injured wing and unable to fly. The property owners were worried about him, so they notified a member of the Wildcare group based on the Gold Coast and they were able to go out to rescue him. It was obvious that he had some damage to the wing, so he was taken straight to the closest vet for x-rays. They showed that Buckey had been shot and still had the lead bullet lodged in his wing. Ouch!

It was decided they needed a second opinion on the possibility of removing the bullet, so Buckey was brought to the Australian Wildlife Hospital on Wednesday. Here, he was x-rayed again and underwent surgery to dislodge the bullet. The surgery was successful and Buckey was a very good patient. He will now be recovering with a registered Wildlife Carer until he is fit for release. He will need to be monitored very closely as he has shown signs of lead poisoning from the bullet. He is on a course of antibiotics to ensure he's comfortable and to improve his recovery chances.

Sadly, native birds are often targets for deliberate injuries by humans, and the holiday period is when we see a lot of cruelty cases. It is illegal to deliberately harm any native wildlife, so be sure to report any cruelty cases to your local Wildlife Authority so the persons responsible can be prosecuted.

Victor the Koala

It's a good thing the Australian Wildlife Hospital runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Without the dedication of the hard-working team of vets, nurses, volunteers and wildlife carers that are on alert during this very busy season, poor Victor the koala may just not have made it.

It was the Boxing Day traffic that caught Victor off guard when he was hit by a car on the New England Highway, in the suburb of Geham at Crow's Nest. The quick response of Clare, one of our wildlife carers based at Toowoomba, gave us the best chance of saving Victor's life. She was able to pick him up and start driving to meet our Rescue Ambulance halfway, and transfer him so that he could continue the two-hour journey to the Australian Wildlife Hospital.

Victor was examined thoroughly on arrival and x-rays were taken. They showed that he suffered terrible fractures to his right arm and severe lacerations on the right side of his tongue. He underwent immediate surgery to stabilise the fracture by application of an external fixateur. It is estimated an injury of this type could take quite a while to repair, so Victor will be cared for here at the Australian Wildlife Hospital until such time as he is ready for release. Currently he is in our Intensive Care Unit where the nurses can keep a very close eye on him, as he's not out of the critical stage yet. Regular pain medication is necessary to keep him as comfortable as possible during his recovery.

We hope you all stay safe on the roads over this busy holiday period, and please watch out for wildlife! Any sick or injured wildlife should be reported immediately to the Australian Wildlife Hospital on 1300 369 652.

The large numbers of koalas being hit by cars and attacked by dogs could be greatly reduced if we all:

1. Slow down while driving through areas where you know koalas and other wildlife live
2. Keep pets locked inside at night time to allow our native wildlife to move around safely to feed

With those simple tips in mind, we can all do something to help save sick and injured wildlife in our own backyards!

Kyle the Bearded Dragon

Poor Kyle the Bearded Dragon was rescued from Boondal Entertainment Centre by a caring family who had seen him struggling across the hot carpark dragging his left foreleg. Kyle was initially examined by Nurse Bev, who soon realised that there was something seriously wrong with his left elbow, which was quite swollen.  Dr Jon anaesthetised and x-rayed Kyle's leg and discovered that the elbow joint was being eaten away by a chronic infection. There was no alternative but for the limb to be amputated.

Amputation of a limb can represent a serious disability for a wild animal, and we will only perform such operations if there is a good chance that the animal can easily survive in the wild. In Kyle's case he had survived in quite good body condition for at least six months in the wild, so he obviously was coping despite his injury. So we have decided to give him a second chance at life.  Kyle has been placed on antibiotics and will be in rehabilitation for the next two to three weeks, and if all goes well he will be back out with his buddies in the wild once again.

Percy the possum

In October last year a Common Brush-tail Possum was hit by a car and killed. Luckily a member of the public stopped and checked her pouch… and found a little furless joey. She took the orphaned joey home with her to rear and named her Percy.

The possum was raised for a year and treated very much like a pet and so has become ‘humanised', craving human contact and not behaving as a wild animal should. Although Percy was given plenty of love over this time, she missed out on learning natural possum behaviours, as her surrogate mum was not a registered wildlife carer and couldn't provide her with all of her possum needs. Percy was brought to the Australian Wildlife Hospital and will need to spend at least six months with a registered wildlife carer learning to be a possum again. This will be a time of intensive work teaching her to be independent of humans, to forage for food on her own, interact with other possums and protect herself from dangers in the wild. Possums are predated upon by introduced predators that are a great threat, including red foxes, cats, and dogs.

The best thing for Percy when she was first found would have been for her to be taken immediately to the Australian Wildlife Hospital or to a carer. Please remember, if it is safe for you to do so, check dead wildlife on the side of the road to see if they do have joeys – and if they do, take the mother's body with the joey to the Wildlife Hospital or wrap them in a towel and keep in a warm place while you call us for a Carer's contact number. Please don't pull the joey off the teat or out of the pouch as you can injure or stress the orphan. For all injured or orphaned possums and other wildlife, call 1300 369 652.

If you are interested in becoming a wildlife carer, contact WILVOS (Wildlife Volunteers Association Incorporated) on (07) 5441 6200 or WILDCARE AUSTRALIA on (07) 5527 2444. A wide range of courses are run each year specialising in care of different species, and it's a great opportunity to learn from the best!

Charlie's released!

The most rewarding part of our job is when we get to see the animals we've worked so hard on get released back into the wild. This was realised last week for Charlie, the Green Sea Turtle that we've been looking after for the past two months.

The exciting thing is that we've come full circle with this patient. Briano and Kate rescued him off the beach at Marcoola; he then was treated in hospital by our vets, cared for by our nurses and finally released by Briano off Croc One!

But when one moves out, unfortunately another one (or two) move in. Sadly, we are seeing too many sick turtles washing ashore. The most recent additions to our turtle rehabilitation facility are Coincidence and Xena. Coincidence weighed in at almost 17 kg and is missing his left front flipper. Xena is the smallest green turtle we've had into hospital and is pictured here with Bonnie. They have both just arrived and are still in the process of being examined and diagnosed. When the results come in, we will be able to begin treatment and hopefully get them back onto the road of recovery.

We wish you all a safe and Merry Christmas, and be sure to keep in touch in the New Year!

 

Turtle Talk

As the traffic on our waterways continues to increase and pollution levels spiral out of control, it is our marine and sea bird life that suffers. We are well aware of the devastation caused by these factors here at the Australian Wildlife Hospital, where we see it all first-hand. This week alone, we have had four sea turtles washed up on local beaches. Three were Green Sea Turtles and one a Hawksbill.

Their common problem is that they are all 'floaters'. Coccidia, blood fluke and obstructions (pollution) in the intestines causes this, and results in a large amount of gas accumulating under the shell. This, of course, makes them float. Once weakness, dehydration, hunger and barnacles set in, the turtles get so sick that they are washed ashore. Floating on the ocean surface also leaves them vulnerable to sunburn and boat strikes – OUCH!

Charlie (the turtle formally known as Chloe), was lucky when some lovely people stopped on their morning walk at Marcoola Beach to help him. They called the Australian Wildlife Hospital emergency hotline for assistance, and he is now safely residing in an ICU pool at the Hospital. Charlie will have x-rays, ultrasounds and other procedures to determine what the cause of his illness is. He and the others will most likely be in hospital for some time before they are fully recovered. Turtle re-habilitation takes a long time.

Sea turtles are one of our favorite marine creatures, so please help them by learning about them and following our top ten turtle tips:

1. Australia is home to six of the world's seven species of sea turtles
2. Sea turtles have lived in the oceans for over 100 million years
3. All of Australia's sea turtles are either listed as endangered or vulnerable
4. Leatherback turtles grow the largest, up to 900kg and can have a carapace length between 1.8 and 2.8 metres long.
5. When breeding, nesting females return to the same area, thought to be in the same region as they were born
6. If you see turtle nests in the wild, please do not interfere with them
7. When you find rubbish on the beach, pick it up and put it in the bin
8. Fishing tackle and plastics are a major threat to sea turtles, so clean it up!
9. Young marine turtles drift and feed in the open ocean. When they are about dinner plate-size, turtles settle near inshore feeding grounds where they can find sea grasses, algae, jellyfish and crustaceans
10. Take action and join your local community water watch group – become a Wildlife Warrior!

 

Tanamai the Yellow-Bellied Sea Snake

A trip to the beach is always lots of fun. The sun is shining, the sea is sparkling and the snakes are swimming! Well, it's not every day we get to see these awesome oceanic species in action. But Tuesday called for a beach rescue in Caloundra, where Tanamai, the Yellow-bellied Sea Snake was found washed ashore.

Alerted by Matt, the lifeguard on duty, our rescue team was quick on the case, as this species is dangerously venomous. At a length measuring nearly one metre, Briano was able to safely tail and bag the snake on the shore of Dicky Beach and bring it to the Australian Wildlife Hospital for attention.

He was very weak and exhausted from a long time out at sea, so on arrival to the clinic Tanamai was examined straight away. Tanamai appeared slightly neurological, with a mild left-side head tilt, and x-rays were taken to investigate his lungs. He has been placed in the ICU on a series of treatments and we are waiting on test results from pathology for more answers about his condition.

Of the 54 known species of sea snakes, there have been 11 recorded from Moreton Bay alone. The Yellow-bellied Sea Snake is known as the world's most widely spread and truly oceanic snake, and is found in all tropical and subtropical seas. They are recognised by their sharply contrasting black body and yellow belly and their yellow paddle-like tail has black spots or bars on it.

It is important that all snakes are treated with caution and this summer, for any snake questions or rescues, call a professional!

 

Cuddles the Koala

Early this week, a mysterious koala was rescued from Redcliffe. He was noticed with sore ears by members of the public late in the afternoon, and the Koala Rescue Group was called to attend. They swiftly rescued this poor male koala and brought him to the Australian Wildlife Hospital to be treated.

After examination, a microchip was found and we were able to identify him as ‘Cuddles', a six-year-old male. He was originally caught, tagged and released by another koala hospital back in 2002! Now that we had his name figured out, we needed to solve his ear problems.

On arrival, both of his ears were bald and extremely red and painful. It is thought that they had been burnt. Another burn was noted on the right side of his rump, which was cleaned up and treated. Burn patients often suffer from severe dehydration, so he was given some fluid solution also. He is now recovering and will be on a short course of antibiotics while he heals. We will make him as comfortable as possible during his stay and he will move out of the ICU to an outside enclosure very soon.  

It is not known for sure how his burns came about. We have had bushfire patients in the past and as we all know, especially at this time of year fires can be a real threat to us, our homes and our wildlife. Sadly, large numbers of wildlife perish each year in Australian bushfires. Those lucky to escape alive often suffer bad injuries as a result and if they're not found in time, can't receive the medical attention they need.

Here's some advice from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service website to remember if you see or are in a bushfire:

If there is a bushfire, follow the track to the nearest road, beach, lake or creek for refuge. Large logs, a ditch or burnt ground can also provide protection in some situations. Avoid areas of heavy fuel, such as deep leaf litter or thick vegetation, and stay low to the ground where the air is coolest and contains the least smoke. In high fire danger conditions, walking tracks and other areas may be closed. It is essential for your safety to follow the instructions on signs in these conditions. If you see a bushfire, please alert a ranger or the police as soon as possible.

If you see animals that need assistance from a bushfire, call the Australian Wildlife Hospital on 133 369 652.

 

Bandicoot Babies

There's nothing more heartbreaking than witnessing the devastation a pet cat or dog can do to a family of native wildlife. All too often we are getting little orphans into the Australian Wildlife Hospital whose parents have been killed. Often, they arrive here in the pouch of their dead mum. Their only hope is to be cared for and hand-reared by a dedicated wildlife carer until they are big enough for release.

Marley and Pink Toe are two bandicoot babies who were recently found in the pouch of their mother, who was attacked and killed by a cat. They are Long-nosed Bandicoots, which when fully grown are the largest of the mainland species of bandicoots found here in Australia. They have grey-brown fur and a creamy white belly and feet. Their ears are pointed, their teeth are delicate, and as the name suggests, their nose is narrow and long!

At the moment, these two bandicoot brothers are being fed a special milk supplement four times a day. After their last feed for the day, some yummy goodies are left out for them forage for and snack on during the night. They like to eat both insects and some fruits and veg. Bandicoots are nocturnal animals, so night time is when they are most active, and most vulnerable.

Loss of habitat, due to development is a major threat to bandicoots in the wild. They are being forced into suburbia, and people were killing them because they thought they were rats! At night time, they fall victim to cat and dog attacks and often get run over as well.

With only a short life span of up to two and a half years, these little critters don't waste anytime when it comes to breeding! A mother bandicoot can have between one and four babies at a time, after the shortest gestation period of any living mammal – a quick 12.5 days!

Long-nosed Bandicoots play a very important role in bushland ecology. As their droppings are dispersed they add natural nutrient to the leaf mulch. They also eat grubs that would otherwise weaken the roots of grasses. It is important that we look out for these amazing little marsupials, and keep our pets locked inside at night time, to allow our nocturnal natives to hunt and feed safely.

 

Henk the Green Tree Frog

Henk is a Green Tree Frog from Ipswich that had a bit of a misadventure in a family's backyard swimming pool. They found him with an injured leg, which they thought to be broken, so decided to bring him into the Australian Wildlife Hospital for some specialist veterinary attention. He was quite dehydrated on arrival and it was noticed that he had chlorine deposits on his skin. After a soak in demineralised water, Henk was x-rayed and diagnosed with a fractured pelvis. It is thought he may have been sucked into the pool filter and suffered these injuries as a result. Dr Amber has admitted Henk to hospital for four weeks of rest and will continue to x-ray him to check on the progress of his pelvis healing. We have had success with frogs with similar injuries before, so with his medication and special care, we hope to see Henk hopping back to a full recovery.

Green Tree Frogs are the second most widely distributed frogs in Australia, found in all states except for Victoria and Tasmania. It is a familiar species that many people recognise, but they often turn up in water tanks, shower blocks and even toilets! It is important that we act now to conserve frogs in Australia, as scientists have noticed quite a decline in their population. The book A field guide to frogs of Australia offers some great advice on frog conservation. Here are a few tips:

• Don't drain frog breeding sites of water
• Don't introduce new fish species to ponds and creeks
• Don't use pesticides if you can help it (frogs do a good job of eating many insect pests)
• Don't collect frogs or tadpoles from national parks

There are a lot more wonderful facts and information on all frog species found in Australia in this guide, which is available for purchase here at the Australian Wildlife Hospital. Remember for any wildlife emergencies, you can call us on 1300 369 652.

 

Harry the Koala

Harry is a two year-old-male koala that was hit by a car in Ormiston, Redlands recently. On admission to the Australian Wildlife Hospital, our vet observed that Harry was suffering old fractures to his elbow and shoulder, blood on his chest and lacerations to his tongue. In addition, his eye was badly ruptured, which was going to require surgery.

Harry was placed in intensive care for close monitoring over a few days until his eye operation. The removal of his eye was necessary as it was irreparably damaged. The operation was a success and Harry was a very good patient. After a few more days of rest in our ICU, Harry has now moved into our ‘Mums and Bubs' enclosure, where he will reside happily outside for his rehabilitation.

We have just come out of the annual breeding season for koalas, which is the busiest time of year for us here at the Australian Wildlife Hospital. We see an average of 30 koalas per month admitted during the year, but from July to September (breeding season), those numbers increase to 90 koalas per month! The majority are hit by cars (like Harry) or victims of dog attacks, and are in a very critical condition when they arrive. Treatment can take months, which means we generally have 40 koalas in the hospital at all times undergoing treatment and rehab.

The large numbers of koalas being hit by cars and attacked by dogs could be greatly reduced if we all:

1. Slow down while driving through areas where you know koalas and other wildlife live
2. Keep pets locked inside at night time to allow our native wildlife to move around safely to feed

With those simple tips in mind, we can all do something to help save sick and injured wildlife in our own backyards!

 

Sun, Sand and Snakes!

It was a beautiful, sunny weekend with many locals and holidaymakers enjoying our Sunshine Coast beaches. You can imagine the surprise of one local beachgoer when on her morning walk along the water's edge at Maroochydore, she came across what she at first suspected was an injured sea snake. While keeping an eye on its movements, she alerted the weekend surf lifesaver on duty then called the Australian Wildlife Hospital for assistance.

Together they kept onlookers at bay and the snake safe until Briano arrived in the rescue vehicle. He immediately identified it as a Yellow-faced Whip Snake, measuring approximately 2.5 ft in length and living up to its reputation as ‘the cheetah of the snake world' by moving across the sand very fast! This nice, slender snake, with gorgeous colourings, was quite displaced out on the open beach. How he got there still remains a mystery, but we suspect he may have been dropped by a bird of prey in the area.

It's the second beach snake rescue for Briano this week. The other being an Eastern Brown Snake who decided to sun itself right between the red and yellow flags at Currimundi! Remember – as the weather warms up, reptiles are going to get more active and appear in unexpected places. So, stay vigilant and call an expert for assistance on 1300 369 652.

 

Teak and Tumbles

A misadventure for a mother echidna and her baby puggle ended in a visit to the Australian Wildlife Hospital this week. Teak and Tumbles were out and about on Hamilton Rd on Monday, when they came into contact with some excavating equipment in the area. The hit caused Teak (mum) to be knocked onto her back, and this sent little baby Tumbles out of the pouch and rolling down a small hill.

Vet Nurse Beverley was called out in our Rescue vehicle to Woombye to assist, and was able to collect both mother and puggle and re-unite them here at the Australian Wildlife Hospital. After they both had a veterinary check-up and radiograph taken, they were given the ok to go into care for a short time before release. Our resident echidna specialist, Head Vet Nurse Vicky, will be looking after them and place them back into the wild (away from heavy machinery!) when they are ready.

 

Sunny the Koala

Last week we had a special patient visit us again. Sunny is a beautiful male koala who unfortunately was hit by a car back in August 2004, but has returned back with injuries far worse.

On Sunny's first trip to the hospital, he had head trauma and a few lacerations to his face. Sunny spent five months here at the Australian Wildlife Hospital before he was released at Birkdale, where he was from.

Unfortunately when he returned to us last month, we was in a bad way. Sunny was hit once again on the same road! But this time he had a badly fractured arm, facial injuries, abrasions on his hind legs and his teeth had punctured his top lip and nose.

Poor sunny had to have surgery on his arm, but he is recovering well. It's so sad to see this beautiful boy come back to us for the second time in two years, let alone getting hit again on the same road! Sunny is such a sweet, quiet, placid boy and we all hope he recovers well enough to go back home soon.

Dolphin rescue

Two of our wonderful staff members Briano and Kate had the day off and were going for their morning coffee, when they received a phone call from a Caloundra lifeguard to say there was a dolphin tangled in the shark nets down at Dicky Beach. Briano and Kate got there as quickly as they could. Briano jumped on the jet ski at Kings Beach with Troy, one of the lifeguards. When they got to the net they found that it was wrapped around both of the dolphin's pectoral fins, the top jaw and through the mouth. The dolphin was exhausted and had little strength left. The right pectoral fin had a large slice where the net had cut into it and bones were exposed. The first thing they did was cut the net away from the fin, and then they removed the net from the dolphin's mouth and freed up the other pectoral fin. Once they had completely removed the dolphin from the net, Briano swam to the surface, carefully guiding the dolphin as he went. The dolphin was then maneuvered to the shore where other rescuers were waiting.

Once notified of the dolphin, Kate called us here at the Australian Wildlife Hospital. Dr Che Phillips along with Wendy Agnew (University of Queensland fifth-year vet student) left the hospital to help out and to provide veterinary support to the injured dolphin. Sea World on the Gold Coast was also contacted. Luckily, Sea World veterinarian Dr David Blyde was in the area, so he was able to come and help out with the dolphin as well. The dolphin was placed in the shade and kept cool with sea water. Blood samples were collected and x-rays taken of his injured flipper. The dolphin was given pain relief in the form of injectable antibiotics and oral antibiotics and fluids. The Sea World van then arrived and the dolphin was placed in the vehicle and transported carefully back down to Sea World for further veterinary attention.

Fleur and Olivia

Fleur and Olivia are two beautiful Green Tree Snakes, so similar they could be twins. Sadly, their stories are similar too – both were victims of severe attacks by domestic cats. The Green Tree Snake is a harmless native species that can often be seen moving in trees or across the ground during the day. They mainly prey on small frogs and lizards and have no venom. Unfortunately they have no defences against attack by domestic cats, so poor Fleur and Olivia ended up with multitudes of infected puncture marks from the cats' teeth. Thankfully, the owners of both cats were good enough to bring in the snakes for urgent treatment, and both are now recovering in our reptile ward.  With luck they will be released back into the wild within the next week or so.  Both cases demonstrate the terrible damage that domestic pets cause to our beautiful wildlife and environment. Cats are great pets, but keep them indoors; they have no place in our fragile native ecosystem!

 

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